Battle of the Elements
by Lady Eclipse
Summary: A new guardian steps forward to assist the Ronins in an enemy as ancient as Talpa and twice as deadly.
1. Chapter 1

"Battle of the Elements"  
  
By Lady Eclipse  
  
Chapter One  
  
The sun dipped low on the horizon giving off the last rays of the day lengthening shadows and setting fire to the sky. The trees stood as black sentinels against the bright colors, not even the light breeze could move them. Sage watched the sight in silent appreciation as he stood at the edge of the forest. After the great battle with Talpa, the small things in life started to mean so much more. The light began to fade to be replaced by the stars shyly peeking out one by one. Somewhere in the distance an owl hooted signaling the beginning of the nocturnal animal's reign. Sage checked his watch briefly and sighed with resignation. He would be missed if he loitered any longer. Even though it had been almost a year since that great battle, the guys were still living with Mia. No one was quite ready to go their separate ways yet; especially after all they had endured together.  
  
As Sage began to walk to his car, a moving shadow caught the corner of his eye. He spun around and scanned the dark trees but could detect nothing. He smiled to himself, he was getting so jumpy these days. Then he noticed a shape in the fading light. It stood just in front of the last rays of the fleeing sun so that it was nothing but a black image. Sage squinted trying to make out what it was. It looked like a horse or some kind of deer, but it ran back into the forest before he could get a good look at it. The forest was ominously quiet, not even an insect offered comment to the event. After a final glance at the spot, he shrugged and got into his car.  
  
"I'm starving! When are we going to eat?!" Kento wailed. The rest of the guys groaned, but Mia smiled patiently.  
  
"It's almost ready, we're just waiting for Sage."  
  
"Can't we start without him, I'm about to waste away here!"  
  
"I don't think that's possible." Rowen grinned as he jabbed at Kento's stomach.  
  
"Knock it off," Kento complained, pouting as he rubbed his stomach. Just then they heard the front door open and close. A few minutes later Sage appeared in the dining room. "Hey guys, sorry I'm late." Kento opened his mouth to say something, but the dirty looks he received from everyone else kept him quiet.  
  
"That's no problem, have a seat and I'll bring the food out." Mia said with a smile.  
  
"I'll help," Cye and Ryo chimed in unison and rushed off to the kitchen.  
  
Mia frowned. "That just made me very suspicious." She shook her head and followed them into the kitchen.  
  
"Finally, time to eat!" Kento said enthusiastically as he sat down. A strange look came over his face and he shifted in his seat. His eyes narrowed as they moved to the kitchen door. With a mutter he stood up. Unfortunately, he took the chair with him. "Oh no," he mumbled noticing the superglue tube lying on the table. A series of snorts and chuckles erupted from Rowen and Sage as they sat down as well. Even Whiteblaze seemed to be laughing as he lay under the table. Kento sent a nasty glare at the door of the kitchen and mumbled something about getting Ryo and Cye back.  
  
The door opened and Mia emerged carrying two cooked chickens on a platter. She was followed by Cye and Ryo who were carrying bowls of side dishes. They were barely concealing their hysterical laughter. Kento scowled again. "Why does everyone have to pick on me?!"  
  
"Because we like you!" Cye beamed, causing another snort from Rowen. Even Mia began to laugh making Kento sigh emphatically and roll his eyes.  
  
"Always the butt of some joke," he mumbled to himself.  
  
Ryo smiled to himself, evenings like this made fighting the Dynasty worth it. Sadly, his moment of happy contemplation was cut short by a loud crash from outside. Everyone jumped from their seats and rushed for the door.  
  
Kento ripped his pants in the commotion to free himself of Ryo and Cye's little prank. When he finally joined the others outside, Kento's eyes were greeting by a large figure emerging from the trees of the surrounding forest. In the faint light provided by the moon the Ronins were able to barely see the details. They instantly regretted what they could see.  
  
The creature had a man-like shape, but its body was much larger than humans and it was very muscled. The head was that of a cheetah; its hands were thin and claw-like and each finger ended in lethal looking talons. It had massive wings extending from its back were covered in a tough leathery membrane that was reminiscent of a dragon. The creature grinned revealing inch long fangs when it saw the gaping Ronins. It's cold chuckle freed them of their shock enough to reflexively call their sub-armor.  
  
"Is this all that the humans have sent in their defense?" he said in a mocking tone that sounding like dry leaves scraping against stone.  
  
"Don't be too quick to judge us," Rowen said in the calmest voice he could muster and changed into his armor. The rest of the Ronins followed suit and unsheathed their weapons. Whiteblaze growled threateningly and took a few steps closer to the horrible beast. Before any of them could react, the beast lurched into the air with dizzying speed then dove at Cye with talons poised. Cye raised his trident and braced himself, determination set firmly in his features. Inches before collision, the creature backwinged sending a fierce blast of air and making a terrible cracking sound. "Lightning!" He said pointing casually at him. In answer, a bolt shot from the sky and struck Cye full force sending him flying back a few feet.  
  
"Cye!" Ryo called and ran towards him.  
  
"Earthquake!" the beast called and the ground shook so hard that none of them could move. Trees tumbled and all cries of surprise were drowned out of the harsh groaning of the stone beneath them. Then, with the slowness of a triumphant predator, the beast approached the stunned Cye, fighting to try to get to his feet, and poised his deadly talons for a final strike. His hand flew forward toward Cye's vulnerable throat with the speed of his pumping wings.  
  
"Stop this now." The command was said in a calm lilting voice that could easily be heard even above the din of battle. The earth instantly stopped buckling and an uneasy calm settled around the area. Upon hearing the voice the creature stopped its deadly blow mid-way and turned. Standing by the lake was a tall, slender woman wearing a black cloak. It completely covered her and the hood was drawn to cover her eyes. "Return from whence you came, Crynis. Or death is your only reward." Crynis sneered, "And who are you to be commanding me, woman?" The woman raised her head slightly. "I am of the guardians of the earth and you are not welcome here."  
  
Crynis raised a taloned hand and turned his flight to the mysterious woman. The distraction was all Ryo needed. "Flare Up Now!" He cried and sent a bolt of flame at the hideous beast. The creature grunted as he took the hit full force on his back. He dropped to the ground for a few minutes, his sides heaving but was soon back in the air with an effortless thrust of his legs and wings. Once he had gained some altitude, he glanced down at Ryo with a faint smirk. Despite the fact that he had taken the brunt of Ryo's attack, Crynis seemed little more affected then being slightly charred. He sent one last scalding glare at the Ronins, then flew away in the general direction of the city.  
  
"Come on!" Ryo broke out into a full run after it.  
  
"No," the woman said. "Do not worry for your city, he will not attack again on this night. He will be too exhausted." All of the Ronins faced the woman, "Who are you?" Sage asked. The woman smiled softly and pulled back the hood to her cloak. She looked young, but her face had a certain agelessness about it that the Ronins had known from the Ancient One. Her eyes were of the richest brown and held and the brilliance cool distance of the stars. Her hair was a light silver color that sparkled in the moonlight. The middle of her forehead boasted a silver-green mark in the shape of a star and it glowed faintly in the dim light. Or was it the moonlight deceiving them?  
  
"My name is Anglarana. I was sent here to help you." She said softly into the silence, not even the smallest of animal dared to speak. She unfastened the clasp and removed her cloak. Her silver hair nearly went to her ankles and was tied mid-way by a midnight blue ribbon. She was wearing a dark green dress that had slits on both sides that went to the upper thigh. The top of the dress started at a collar around her throat and opened up to cover her torso. Her bare arms were adorned with circles of silver set with emeralds and her wrists were covered with brown bands that extended to the top part of the hand. She wore white boots that ended halfway on the upper leg in a point. A white strip of cloth was wound around her waist and was tied at her left hip; the lengthy ends fluttering it the wind.  
  
The effect left the other Ronins quite speechless.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

"I am known as Anglarana," the silver-haired woman said, her bright eyes firmly fixed on the men before her.  
  
"Why did you just help us now, and how did you know that creature?" Sage asked, suspicion lacing his tone. Anglarana held up a pale hand. "Please, I will answer all of your questions soon enough, but for now I think it best that you rest and see that your friend has some time to recover from the attack." None of the Ronins replied, but they also didn't make any move to go back inside. Anglarana stood for a moment staring back at the men with something akin to sympathy shining in her eyes, then turned and disappeared into the shadows of the forest surrounding the lake. Kento shook his head confusedly, "Well, I don't know what either of those people were or what they were about. But I am now really starving." The rest of the Ronins broke into an uneasy laughter releasing some of the tension the encounter had brought. Rowen and Ryo helped Cye to his feet and everyone slowly made their way inside to eat a the now cold dinner. For no reason at all, they did not concern themselves that a stranger was lurking so nearby somehow instinctively trusting the strange woman with ancient eyes.  
  
The sun was at its peak the next day and the Ronins were outside training for their new enemy as they had been since the break of dawn. The sky was cloudless and as blue as the water of the lake below and there was only a slight breeze to ruffle the surface and the hair of combatants. Everything was as it should be. It was hard to believe that mere hours ago they had fought with an enemy strong enough to easily withstand Ryo's feared attack. Mia walked outside laden with a tray of lemonade escorted by Whiteblaze. She was practically mobbed by the guys as they went for the frosty glasses. Once everyone had received their refreshment from the gathering heat of the day, they sat in the shade and enjoyed a moment of relaxation. Whiteblaze lay next to Ryo with his tail twitching contentedly ignoring the easy chatter amongst the guys. His nose twitched then his ears snapped forward on his head. His nose twitched some more as he agilely sprung up from the ground and ran into the forest. "Hey! Whiteblaze, where are you going?" Ryo called after the tiger but Whiteblaze did not respond. All sounds in the forest stilled breaking the serenity they had enjoyed earlier. Everyone stood and stared into the thick foliage uneasily. After a lengthy silence where even the birds held their breath a figure emerged from the spot where Whiteblaze had disappeared accompanied by the tiger. It was Anglarana, now carrying a five foot wooden walking stick.

"You came back," Cye said softly, his voice unsure. Anglarana nodded,

"Yes, I am always true to my word."  
  
"Then will you tell us about that monster?" Ryo urged. She nodded again.  
  
"Come sit down in the shade with us, I can fix another cup of lemonade," Mia offered with a welcoming smile.  
  
Anglarana returned her smile. "Thank you, but I don't need anything to drink." They all returned to their seats with Anglarana sitting with her legs tucked underneath her across from them. "What do you wish to know?"  
  
The Ronins glanced at one another. "Let's start with that creature from last night," Rowen replied.  
  
"All right." She briefly closed her eyes gathering together her thoughts, "Crynis is what some have called an elemental demon who thrives on the destructive forces of nature. He is originally from the Nether Realm, but escaped from Talpa's control two thousand years ago. He ravaged this world commanding the chaotic forces of nature. Talpa, enraged with Crynis's betrayal, fought with him but the cost proved too high to be worth his wrath so eventually he just ignored Crynis leaving him to destroy as he would. My people assembled and attacked Crynis while he was still weak from his battle with Talpa. We put him into an unnatural slumber and trapped his body underground. He has stayed there undisturbed until now."  
  
"What happened to set him free?" Mia asked.  
  
"I'm not sure. But I do know that someone managed to waken his mind. From there it was only a matter of time before Crynis could break through his cage." Anglarana paused for a moment in reflection, then raised her head proudly. "My people have guarded his prison all this time. But our numbers have greatly diminished over time and we were forced to go into hiding. Recently, I felt a great disturbance in nature and came to investigate, I have been wandering the world for over two years searching for the source. I originally thought it to be Crynis, but now I am not so sure. I have been able to pinpoint the source of the disturbance to this area. Do you know of any kind of disturbance of that sort which has occurred here recently?"  
  
"Yeah, Talpa tried to take over the world twice," Sage said.  
  
"Not to mention all the Dynasty's attacks in between," Cye added. Anglarana's face fell slightly, "Oh dear," she whispered, "that explains it then." She raised her voice to address the others, "From the fact that you all are still here, I assume that you defeated Talpa. But what of the Dynasty?"  
  
"We destroyed that too," Ryo replied.  
  
"Not all of it, apparently. There must have been one that escaped you."  
  
"Why do you say that?" Mia asked.  
  
"Crynis is very strong, but due to his nature as an elemental demon he has little patience and no ability to plan long-term battles. Elemental demons such as he care nothing for domination nor control, they only take pleasure in destruction. His fighting and control on the battlefield last night betray the will of another. I believe he was freed by someone and they are now using him to gain some goal. What that is, I cannot say but I have an uneasy feeling that it is worse than any kind of desire to dominate." A silence fell over the group as they considered the new information.


	3. Chapter 3

By Lady Eclipse  
Chapter Three  
It was Rowen who finally broke the silence proceeding Anglarana's information. "So what now?" Anglarana lowered her eyes. "I do not know." Her eyes held weariness but her smile was strong and determined, "I do know, however, that we must fight and I am sure that our true enemy will be revealed in time."  
  
"What will it take to defeat Crynis? It totally thrashed us," Cye asked.  
  
"To defeat Crynis you only need to weaken him enough so that I might be able to imprison him again. I believe he was only able to defeat you this time because you did not know his powers. I sense in all of you a stronger power than what was displayed last night. Were you holding back in that battle?"  
  
"We can combine our armor's powers to form a very powerful white armor," Sage replied. "It's what we used to defeat Talpa and the Dynasty." Anglarana nodded slowly.  
  
"What about you?" Ryo asked thoughtfully. "Can't you take Crynis by yourself? You were able to stop his attack and chase him away."  
  
"I truly wish that was so, but I merely caught Crynis off guard. The next battle will be harder. NO doubt he has had plenty of time over his enforced sleep to concoct ways around the power of my people."  
  
"So what can you do?" Kento's frustration was showing in his voice. A ghost of a smile crossed Anglarana's lips.  
  
"I can teach you to fight him. The power of your armors should be powerful enough. You share his ability to wield the power of the elements, you can use that to your advantage. I will teach you all I know about him and his abilities and possible ways you can counter him with your own. During battle, I will do what I can to control his elemental attacks."  
  
"So that's it then!" Kento said standing triumphantly. "We'll teach that stupid monster not to mess with the Ronin Warriors!"  
  
"Yea, and whoever else's controlling him!" Cye joined in. The rest of the Ronins rose to their feet with a lighter spirit then when they had sat down. Meanwhile Mia sat and observed everything. She was particularly thoughtful about Anglarana rather than what she had said. She silently went back inside to her computer. She definitely had something she needed to check into.  
  
Anglarana sat complacently on a rock by the lake watching the Ronins training. The sun was setting leaving a blush on the countryside that reminded her of a different time. 'Am I really so old that I dream of such far away days?' She thought to herself sternly. The last two years of searching plagued with a looming sense of danger had driven her with an intensity that left no room for anything else. She sighed and rubbed her temples, 'If I keep this up, I'll end up just as dower and intimidating as I seem.'  
  
She sighed again and shifted her eyes contemplatively to the mansion. Mia was a very sharp person with a ready belief for the legends and unusual things of the world. 'I'm sure she's already started trying to try to figure out what I am and I don't doubt that she has the information to eventually learn of my true nature. I wish I could tell the Ronins more, tell them what they're really up against. However, this easier story will give them the confidence they will need to destroy Crynis so I can go on to the real danger.' Anglarana's features saddened. 'For my people, I will go.' She let her eyes close in weariness. So much sacrifice, so many knotted threads of deceit to unravel....  
  
Before the red-tinged blackness of her eyelids, Anglarana saw an apparition of a white and blue clad man bearing a chiming staff. "You watch them still?" she asked it softly.  
  
"The Ronin Warriors are of my creation, I will watch over them for all time." She smiled sadly at that. "What do you wish of me, old friend?"  
  
"Stay with them, I can no longer protect them. You have the power and it is of your nature and purpose to do so."  
  
"I will guard them, for they are worthy of guarding. I have rarely seen spirits as pure as theirs." It almost seemed like the apparition smiled beneath the cover of the bleary mist surrounding him.  
  
Anglarana was jolted out of her sleep by a gentle hand urgently shaking her shoulder. Her eyes flew open to meet the violet eyes of Sage. His expression was unreadable holding some emotion that she did not recognize.  
  
Anglarana checked around herself, the sky was fully dark now sprinkled with stars. She stretched and rose from the rock. "Yes? What is it?" Sage smiled, "We're going in for dinner now."  
  
"So?" Sage looked a little confused.

"Wouldn't you like to join us?"  
  
"Oh!" Anglarana breathed, catching on. She looked to the house and saw the rest of the boys standing impatiently. Anglarana couldn't suppress a slight chuckle at the image of them. "Okay," she said cheerfully and went to the house with the guys.  
  
Something inside her told Anglarana that this guardianship job wouldn't be that bad. All the bad omens of the past few minutes disappeared from her mind. It did feel good to be out with people again and fighting as she was born to do.  
  
The private scene was witnessed by an unfriendly viewer through a large, crystal wall. The person watching looked to be human, but the melancholy brown eyes were dull due to lack of emotion. The man's clothing was hidden beneath a long, black cloak. His pale-blonde hair was tied back; its lengths reaching his upper back. The image on the crystal wall lingered on the silver haired woman.  
  
"Ah, my dear Anglarana. I was indeed worried you were not still alive. I have missed our conversations, what a rare pleasure it will be to see you in person again." He waved away the picture leaving the obsidian wall black and empty. The sounds of footsteps on stone alerted Justin of the entrance of another creature. "You return late, Crynis," he said without turning.  
  
"Master, I was detained by having my wounds healed," the creature replied, bowing.  
  
Justin smiled coldly. "You were hardly wounded. But I am not concerned about that now, are you ready for our plan."  
  
"Yes, all is ready. I am only waiting for your word."  
  
"Then launch the attack tomorrow."  
  
"Yes, Master," Crynis replied respectfully and bowed again.  
  
"Crynis," Justin called as the beast turned to depart.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Be sure the woman remains unharmed and is brought to me."  
  
"As you will it."   
  
Well, what do you think? I like it, but if you have some comments :), or some criticism :( go ahead and tell me. If you think this story could be better you'd better say something or it won't do much changing. Hope you're enjoying things so far!! :P


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four  
  
Mia rubbed her eyes wearily before returning her line of vision to the glowing computer screen before her. To her side lay a book with yellowed pages and a time worn cover. There was a layer of must coating it that no level of cleaning could remove. The inked words in neat script were bleary with age but still decipherable. Mia sighed and turned the page of the book. Two hours of researching had left her with little clues to Anglarana's people or history. Mia wasn't exactly the all-knowing psychic, but her instincts were sending off a full alarm that this person was not as she seemed. However, Mia didn't feel as though she was in danger. In fact, she felt the opposite. It seemed as though Anglarana gave off an acute feeling of warm security and of quiet strength.  
  
Mia shook her head ruefully. 'I must be getting senile. Why do I always feel that there is more to a situation then what I see? It would be nice to just accept things the way they are. But still... there is just something extraordinary about Anglarana. I haven't gone wrong yet by listening to the legends.'  
  
Mia sighed and started cross-referencing the passages from the book to her pre-existing computer files. She frowned slightly as the computer screen brought up an old painting with a poem-like inscription. The painting was that of a sun-dappled lush jungle surrounding a bright blue lake. There were various birds and animals in the scene, but the creature that immediately took the eye was the shadow of some kind of horse or deer hiding in the foliage of the background. The shadow had one front leg raised as if pausing in its casual trip; as though something had suddenly caught its attention. Its head was turned toward the lake and its luminous eyes sparkled in the sun. The caption below it read:

Here resides the immortal plane, Bringer of life and death. Here awaits your salvation, Else the stern hand of fate. When once again the fair one rises, And the earth is cursed with bane. Hence she comes to awaken, And the ground shivers with anticipation and pain. By the hand of the elemental warriors, Else by none shall the living world be saved. Beware the coming of the darkness and of the light of the world to come.

A sharp knock on the door caused Mia to nearly fall out of her chair. She quickly shut off the computer and answered the door. Ryo grinned at her as the sounds of clanging and yelling could be heard from downstairs. There was a loud thudding sound accompanied by Cye exclaiming, "I've told you a thousand times, Kento, it's NOT READY!"  
  
Mia raised her eyebrows; Cye rarely used a loud voice, especially to Kento. Ryo's grin broadened. "I think Cye could use your assistance. We're all too busy body guarding the kitchen to help with any of the cooking. Kento's about ready to tear down a wall down there." Mia sighed emphatically and followed Ryo downstairs. They were greeted by quite a sight; Rowen was doing his best to wipe off Kento's face with a dishrag. A large, plastic bowl was residing on Kento's head and a thick, porridge-looking substance was running down his face and covering his clothes. Sage was trying to pacify Cye who was muttering something about his dinner being ruined while sporadically waving about a wooden spoon for emphasis. Anglarana was sitting on the couch, barely containing her laughter causing Kento to scowl fiercely.  
  
Mia checked a quick chuckle and raced over to the chaotic scene. "All right, everyone... guys..." The feuding group was so noisy that they didn't even hear her. "...GUYS!" Everyone looked at Mia in shocked silence, Cye grinned sheepishly. Mia took in a deep breath, "Okay; Kento, go upstairs and clean up. Cye, go back in the kitchen; I'll be there shortly to help fix things up. Rowen, go with Kento to make sure that he doesn't do anything evil to Cye's half of the room." She leaned over and whispered in his ear, "Don't let him come down again until dinner is ready, okay?" Rowen, with a relieved smile, nodded and grabbed Kento by the sleeve.  
  
"Okay, buddy lets get this goop off of 'ya." After Rowen and Kento were upstairs and Cye was safely in the kitchen piecing together the remains of the meal, Mia sat Sage and Ryo down.  
  
"Okay, now what happened that four full-grown men couldn't take care of?"  
  
Sage and Ryo exchanged amused expressions. "Well... Kento was playing a video game and making a lot of noise out here and Cye was making a soufflé in the kitchen." Sage began rubbing the back of his neck. "Cye ended up coming out here several times to get Kento to shut up so his soufflé wouldn't fall. But Kento just got too excited and was getting hungry from all of the fun with the game." Sage paused uncomfortably and glanced at Ryo for support, who, in turn, held up his hands refusing to have anything to do with the telling of the story. Sage sighed and continued with his monologue. "We then made the mistake of leaving Kento alone in the room."  
  
"What? You left him alone when he was hungry?!" Mia interrupted, incredulous.  
  
"Yea, Whiteblaze was acting funny. We were worried about him."  
  
"What was wrong with Whiteblaze?" Sage blushed,

"Hairball, as it turns out," he mumbled. Mia hid her smile with her hand and nodded for Sage to continue. "I don't know what exactly happened next, we just heard some yelling. By the time we reached the kitchen, Cye was dumping a bowl of cake mix on Kento's head. It turned out that Kento had made so much noise that the soufflé fell."  
  
"Well, that explains it," Mia stood. "Now, for your penance for leaving Kento alone is to clean the goop off the carpet and then to help Rowen keep Kento away until dinner is ready and Cye regains his cool. Okay?" The guys nodded and went off in search of the cleaning products.  
  
Mia was about to go into the kitchen when she remembered Anglarana sitting on the couch. Mia turned and noticed that her eyes were resting thoughtfully upon her. "Yes?" Mia asked.

"Oh, nothing. I was just thinking. By the way, what is your last name?"  
  
"It's Koji, why?" Anglarana nodded as if something were finally made clear to her, then looked up at Mia. "No reason, I like to know people's last names." Anglarana smiled affectionately at Mia. 'Now I know what it is about you, Mia, that stands out so much even amongst such powers as the Ronin Warriors', Anglarana thought to herself.  
  
Mia was about to question her further, but a soft groan coming from the kitchen stopped her. Cye was going to have to come first; Mia had never seen anyone so obsessed with cooking in all her life.  
  
The planned attack was just hours away. Justin staved off a wave of fatigue as he reviewed his plans. Crynis was becoming more and more difficult to control as the taste of destruction heightened his power and will. 'Just a bit longer.' He cajoled himself. He only needed to keep the mindless beast to his will for just a little longer and then he could release it and focus on more important things. Justin murmured a word to the black, crystal wall and the wall opened to reveal a large inner chamber filled to capacity with concentrically arranged liquid filled tubes. Justin would need to reenergize for his plan to work. An attack of this proportion required a lot of strength.  
  
He walked along the rows of tubes, the blue liquid gave off an eerie glow. The tubes on the fringes of the room contained humans and the demon soldiers from the Dynasty. The more powerful creatures resisted closer to the heart of the room in order of strength. Justin moved confidently to the inner most row of tubes. Within these tubes were powerful warlords such as Sabre Strike and Badamon.  
  
Justin stopped in front of the tube that contained a man with long mahogany hair. Justin never could understand why this man contained such power and strength. He smiled to himself in memory. Justin had found him floating in a moat in the Nether Realm just after the fall of Talpa. He hadn't planned on taking the young man, but just then he needed all the energy he could get. He placed a hand on the tube and prepared himself for the jolt of energy he was about to receive.

Oops, what's this?! Am I bringing back an old friend? I likey; you likey? Well whatever you think, send it to me. I'm an awfully lonely little imp. I know I'm really killing the cliché of Cye being the cook and Kento being perpetually hungry but please be gentle with the flames. This was written back when I was in high school and had just gotten into RW so my writing skills were not refined. Admit it though, it's still fun to play with clichés!!!!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five  
  
The Koji household was relatively quiet for the first time all evening. Kento was contentedly munching on a large slice of chocolate cake; a peace offering from Cye for losing his cool earlier. Rowen and Mia were reading quietly on the love seat. Sage, Ryo, and Cye were sitting on the couch watching T.V. and Whiteblaze was comfortably stretched out in front of the couch dozing.  
  
Anglarana watched this scene of peaceful calm through the open door from her place on the porch. She stood leaning against the rail enjoying the warm evening breeze listening the quiet symphony of crickets. She smiled and returned her gaze to the moon, now rapidly swelling to show its full size. It's light was bright bathing the earth with a sereal glow. The light outlined her features and set off the mark on her forehead with a silver- green glow. From inside, she could hear a murmured exchange amongst the warriors followed by a hearty laugh. Anglarana sighed as her heart clenched with the familiar tug of loneliness. 'Where is everyone? I can't feel the presence of even one of my people. Am I the last...?'  
  
She suddenly jerked upright and stared intently into the darkened forest surrounding the mansion. The crickets had fallen into a hush as she scanned the trees, a sense of unease gripping her powerfully. Her mark throbbed in time with her heartbeat, it's glow intensifying. Anglarana spun on her heel and raced into the house. "Beware! He comes!" she called. Everyone stood in unison and ran out the door.  
  
"Can't he just attack during the day like normal villains?" Sage muttered.  
  
"Hey, at least he isn't attacking during dinner like last time," Kento replied cheerfully. Now that his stomach was full, Kento was ready and eager for a good fight.  
  
The Ronin Warriors stood in their sub-armor a few yards in front of the mansion nervously staring into the gloom. Everything remained quiet and deathly still save the wind now increasing noticably. In one moment; the empty, quiet clearing burst into action. Demon soldiers burst from the forest by the dozens and immediately started to attack the Ronins. Mia and Anglarana stood ready on the porch watching the event. An immense shadow suddenly covered the moonlight, casting the fight into ominous darkness. Sage shivered and looked up to see Crynis hovering in the sky with a menacing grin on his face that revealed his long, sharp fangs stained red at the tips.  
  
Mia tried to focus on the overwhelming odds against them and concoct a plan that would at least ensure an escape if not victory but was distracted by a pulsing light immediately to her right. She have turned and gasped; Anglarana, staring at the fight with pursed lips and hard eyes, was well illuminated by the bright light of the mark on her forehead. Her entire siluete was aglow with a silvery-green light that somehow seemed to distort her lines. Anglarana's eyes slid to Mia and she took in her confusion and fear. Anglarana gave her a smile that was both confident and gentle then returned her steady gaze to the chaos. The Ronins fought admirably disposing the weaker soldiers easily enough but the sheer number of them would soon wear even the most skilled warrior down. Crynis watched the show from well above giving every indication of pleasure at the slaughter. Anglarana closed her eyes taking a deep breath then walked off the porch into the melee.

"I was wondering how long it would take your master to get serious about this." She addressed Crynis skirting around the myriad of combatants. Anglarana held up her staff and the mark on her forehead began to glow a fierce silver-green. Crynis grinned in reply to her challenge. He lowered himself to the ground and stood only a few feet in front of her; his soldiers shied away from him like nervous ponies.

"My master bade me to bring you to him intact. So be a good girl and come quietly. I sure would hate to have to mess up that pretty little face of yours." Anglarana laughed in her characteristic clear and musical voice, "Then let us not keep him waiting." She pressed on the center of her staff and two foot long blades shot out of either end. The light from her mark shot down her arm and spread over the staff and the blades. Crynis raised his hand, his claws making a metallic ring as they scraped against one another.  
  
Meanwhile the Ronins continued to struggle with all the demon soldiers aware of her encounter but unable to free themselves to get to her. "Man, we gotta help her! Anglarana can't face that thing alone!" Rowen cried as he killed another soldier.  
  
"Yeah, but we can't get to her right now. I think that she can take him," Ryo replied while fending off two soldiers.  
  
"Forget this, let's waste these guys and go get that monster!" Kento exclaimed.  
  
"Right, let's armor up!" Cye agreed. "Armor of Torrent!"  
  
"Armor of Hardrock!"  
  
"Armor of Halo!"  
  
"Armor of Strata!"  
  
"Armor of Wildfire! Dao Chi!" Once in their full armor, the guys began to destroy the soldiers with their special powers trying to clear a path to where Anglarana grappled with Crynis. Crynis's claws struck Anglarana's staff with horrible force making her take a step back to brace herself. The mark on her forehead shone with a blinding light and was still getting brighter beaching her features. For a brief moment the battle stopped and all stood amazed at the light.  
  
Mia gasped from where she stood, she felt a burning sensation coming from within her chest. Not like fire, but stronger and more demanding. For no reason she could think of, Mia ran inside to her room. Something was calling her.  
  
Minutes later a pink light erupted from an upstairs window and joined the light surrounding Anglarana. With the increased strength from the pink light, the light on Anglarana's blades ran up Crynis's arm and smoke and a sizzling sound accompanied it. With an angry cry, Crynis disengaged and backed up a few paces clutching his arm to his chest. All the demon soldiers paused looking to their leader, then retreated back into the forest as one. Crynis moved his hands to call upon his elemental attacks, but was stopped by a shimmering in the air to his right. A man appeared, with blonde hair and bored brown eyes. "Enough, Crynis. You have failed. Return to the castle for your punishment."  
  
"No, Master, please! I had her, but some outside force assisted her, I swear it!"  
  
Justin narrowed his eyes. "Are you defying my orders?"  
  
"No, of course not, my master. It is as you will it." With that Crynis rose into the air and disappeared. Justin then turned his attention to Anglarana who was eying him with shock. By now the light had faded to a faint gleam and the pink light had disappeared all together. The Ronin Warriors stood together directly behind her with their weapons raised wearily.  
  
"Ah, Lady Anglarana, how pleasant it is to see you again. I trust you are well?" Justin said in an affectionate voice as he bowed deeply. Anglarana's eyes softened sadly. "I thought it might be you but hoped fervently that it wasn't. What do you want with this world?" Her tone was weary and timelessly sad. Justin advanced a step. "Why, just to reclaim you, my dear. And perhaps to enjoy the fruits of Earth for a while." Anglarana closed her eyes and lowered her staff. The light on her forehead began to increase in intensity again. Justin grinned, "Not this time." He held up his hand and a gray light surrounded her like a mist. Her eyes flew open and she threw back a hand to grip the nearest Ronin, which happened to be Ryo.  
  
"Quickly! Hold hands, he means to drag me to his castle so that we will fight alone. Or," her voice dropped in emotion, "not at all." The Ronins nodded their heads and gripped each others' hands. Justin frowned. "Clever, my lady. The spell is too far progressed for me to stop it. Bring your precious humans, this fight shall be in my domain where my powers are greatest. When I put the Earth's strongest humans to shame, then I will have the true battle." As he spoke the gray light wound around the group. The scenery around them faded away and blackness took its place.  
  
Mia only vaguely heard the shouts and clash of metal on metal of the battle. The calling emanating from her room was too great. When she opened the door, she was blasted with a bright ray of pink light. The light filled the room and was pouring out of the window and now open door. She barely had time to register the power of the light before it faded to a sullen glow on her bookshelf. Mia went over to her shelf and picked up a small, purple box. Once it was in her hands, the light increased although it was now as gentle as a caress.

Mia slowly opened the lid to reveal the Jewel of Life. It was pulsing quietly with its hot light and her desire to touch it was almost painful. Without thinking of the consequences, Mia took the jewel from its box and held it before her eyes. The box fell from her numb hand to the floor unheeded as the light from the jewel intensified and enveloped Mia in its soft, warm light. The jewel glittered faintly beneath her awed gaze and she was overwhelmed with a sense of rightness and of quiet power. A wave of understanding and acceptance rippled through her filling her mind and heart completely. The light from the jewel began to increase again with feverish pitch.  
  
When it reached its peak, a piercing pain sliced through Mia's chest and brain. She clutched her chest with both hands and fought against the surging tides of unconsciousness. She tried to look to see what was causing the horrible pain, but the light was too bright. Belatedly, she recognized the feel of the jewel against her flesh but when she tried to pull her hand and the jewel away her effort was rewarded with an extra burst of pain. Mia fell to the floor writhing in agony. It felt like someone was piercing her heart with a flaming sword. Then, as if the pain had never existed, it was gone. Mia lay weak and drained on the floor. Through the mist of exhaustion, Mia could tell that something had changed in her body but blissful unconsciousness took her before she could contemplate on what.  
  
Somewhere, in a dark castle, Anglarana felt a pang of awareness jostle her from her comfortable sleep. Something very important had happened somewhere; something of severe significance. All she could do was smile, despite the fear and the pain. For she remembered the pink light and the last name of the gentle, intelligent woman who assisted the Ronin Warriors. 'Finally, the last piece has fallen into place. I thought that the Jewel of Life would somehow fall into Mia's hands.'  
  
Anglarana cast a tired glance around the dark room to reassure herself that the Ronins remained with her. Satisfied, she lay her glowing staff on the ground. It would alert her to when the others awoke, or when another presence was near. For now she could rest and regain her shattered strength. She sighed and let blissful sleep reclaim her.  
  
This is my first fan-fic so please review me. I wouldn't even mind a few flames so long as my e-mail isn't looking like the day after the atomic bomb was dropped!! ;P It's Humor me. I get awfully lonely. :D 


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter Six  
  
Somewhere a faint humming sound buzzed in the back of Sage's mind pulling him from the darkness of his dreams. With an effort, he threw off the web of sleep and opened his eyes. His vision was a little bleary and the deep darkness that surrounded him made very little visible. He could vaguely make out the shape of a glowing staff. The light from the staff showed other armored bodies lying nearby and was what looked like a large, white blob. Sage rubbed his eyes vigorously and when he looked again, the white blob was gone and Anglarana was laying in its place.  
  
"Anglarana?" She sat up and smiled at him. "Yes?"  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
"Justin's domain, I do not know exactly where." Sage nodded wearily and moved toward the closest person to wake him up. "No, let them sleep," Anglarana said softly. "They will need their rest for the upcoming battle."  
  
"But we could be in danger right now." Sage looked more than a little distressed.  
  
Anglarana shook her head. "For now we are safe. I will know when Justin or his minions come for us."  
  
Sage sat back pacified, but was not in the least restful. "So now what?" Anglarana shrugged mildly. "Nothing for now. Once the others have fully rested, we will leave the dungeon. I do not think we should attempt to fight him here. Rather, we should only find a way to escape." Sage nodded solemnly.

"Do you know anything about this castle to help us get out?" Anglarana frowned and shook her head. "Only a little, I have been here only once before; but in little better circumstances." She smiled ruefully, "Perhaps there is one thing we can do to upset his plans, even if we cannot get away."  
  
"What's that?" Her smile turned into a mischievous grin.

"I know how to get to his power source. My people may not be the most attentive and focused group that ever wandered upon the earth, but we are observant and have a very long memory."  
  
"Tell me about your people." Sage said suddenly although his eyes told her that it was a question long burning in his mind. Anglarana paused in thought and her eyes became shadowed. "We are an ancient race that were created to watch over this planet and the living things upon it." She spoke slowly, as though she were choosing her words carefully.  
  
"Like the Clan of the Ancients?"  
  
"Sort of, we have a similar purpose. The Clan of the Ancients and my people have been friends for a long time."  
  
"Are there any more of your people?" Anglarana's eyes became hollow and sad. "Yes and no. Others still live; but, as far as I know, they all sleep somewhere still holding Crynis' prison."  
  
"But he was freed by Justin, why are they still guarding an empty prison?"  
  
"I do not know, theoretically they should have awakened and gone out to recapture Crynis. Either the spell failed, or they are dead." She managed to keep her voice even, but her hands shook slightly and her eyes dilated. Sage smiled at her reassuringly,

"I'm sure they're still out there somewhere. After we get out of here, we can look for them. We need all the help we can get." Anglarana smiled at him and glanced thoughtfully at the other Ronin Warriors.

"Maybe..."  
  
After a few minutes of comfortable silence, groans could be heard as the other guys woke up one by one.  
  
"Man, where are we?" Rowen asked sleepily.  
  
"Looks like some kind of cell or something," Kento replied.  
  
"That it is, Ronins. But now it is time for us to leave." Anglarana picked up her staff and stood. The Ronins followed suit. "Now, stand in a circle around me and join hands." Once the guys had done as she said, Anglarana held her staff over her head. The mark on her forehead shone brightly and the light flowed over her staff and formed a bubble around the group. "Call upon the power of your armor." The light was so bright that the Ronins had to shut their eyes and look away, it almost had a sound to it. Anglarana's voice was steady and calm, reminding them of what they had to do.  
  
"Armor of Halo!"  
  
"Armor of Torrent!"  
  
"Armor of Hardrock!"  
  
"Armor of Strata!"  
  
"Armor of Wildfire, Dao Chi!!"  
  
As each warrior called upon their armor, their own respective color shone around them. Once all off the armors were charged, their colored light streamed into the staff combining with the silvery green light of Anglarana. When the colors combined there was a bright flash of pure white light that temporarily blinded the Ronins.  
  
When sight was again restored to them, they were in an empty room. Three of the four walls and the floor were made of gray, damp stone. There was no ceiling, but the walls extended so high that they could only faintly see the blue sky above them. The wall opposite from where they stood was a large sheet of black crystal. Except for the hole in the ceiling, there was no other visible way of leaving the room. Anglarana smiled to herself.  
  
"Hey, I thought we were leaving this creepy place!" Cye remarked, looking around nervously.  
  
"No way, we still need to kick Crynis' butt first!" Kento replied cheerfully.  
  
Anglarana laughed, "Not yet, Kento. And we are leaving; this is the only exit in the castle that we can take, if memory serves." Everyone looked up wearily. "There are no door or windows in this place, the perfect prison for his captives. We are relatively free to move about, but with no way out. Except for this room. Justin needs the light and air of the outside world to touch his crystal wall."  
  
Ryo walked up to the wall and put a hand on it. The wall shimmered and briefly turned a shade red. Ryo quickly withdrew his hand and rubbed his palm on his leg. "Tingles," he said sheepishly when everyone stared at him.  
  
"'Tis' an artifact of power. It will show someone whatever he or she wishes to see, as long as it is a place where the wind may go." She walked over to the wall. "We must hurry, for this is a very guarded place. Justin will be aware of our disappearance shortly, and will come here first." Anglarana whispered a word to the crystal wall. It shimmered then disappeared to reveal a large room beyond it. Without missing a beat, she walked purposefully into the room. The others joined her reluctantly; no one particularly wanted to stay in Justin's castle any longer than they had to.  
  
As they walked, they saw the liquid-filled tubes with people and demon soldiers floating in them. Ryo shivered, so many lives were wasted in here, and for what?  
  
"What are all these people doing in here?" Rowen asked. Without slowing down, Anglarana replied, "They are simply existing; nothing more than batteries for Justin to feed on."  
  
"So he's like an energy vampire?" Kento asked nervously. A sweat drop formed on his forehead as he stared down the endless rows of living beings. Anglarana stopped in the very center of the room, she looked a little perplexed.  
  
"What is it?" Ryo asked, coming up to stand beside her.  
  
"I'm not quite sure what to do next. Perhaps a massive jolt of energy to destroy them?"  
  
"No! Those are living people, we can't destroy them!" Sage protested. Anglarana nodded, "Then we have to find a way to free them."  
  
"How?" Rowen asked.  
  
"I only know how to free them one at a time. We don't have the time to free them all, and I don't have the energy." She laughed, "I'm sorry, I guess I led all of you in here without a plan." Kento grinned at her, "Hey, you're doing better than any of us!"  
  
"Let's just get out of here, we can worry about freeing these people later," Ryo gently said.  
  
"Hold on a minute! You guys have gotta' see this!" Rowen called out. He was standing in front of one of the center tubes. There were gasps of amazement as the guys all assembled around it. There, floating in the eerily glowing liquid, was Anubis. His eyes were closed and he looked very peaceful. Kento spun around to face Anglarana. She was staring more at Anubis' clothes than at him. She had a strange expression on her face.  
  
"You said you could set one of them free, right?" She nodded and moved toward the tube. "If that is your wish?" The Ronins all nodded emphatically.  
  
"Is he still alive?" Ryo asked quietly. Anglarana placed a hand on the tube and nodded.  
  
"Yes, Justin needs him alive so that he can steal Anubis' energy." She closed her eyes and her face became strained. "His wounds are very bad. I can keep him alive for a while, but he will need to be healed, and quickly."  
  
"I have the power to heal," Sage offered. In response, Anglarana's mark began to glow. Its light flowed to her hand and could be seen snaking through the liquid and enveloping Anubis.  
  
"Now! Break the glass!" Kento raised his weapon and began pounding on the glass. It cracked, then shattered spilling the fluid all over the floor. Anubis fell forward, almost colliding into Anglarana. Rowen and Ryo were ready, however, and caught him. The light faded away; except for the faint misted rays that lightly coated Anubis' body. He was still dressed in the robes of the Ancient One.  
  
Suddenly, the room began to violently quake. "We must leave now. Justin is on to us," Anglarana said wearily, holding a hand to her head.  
  
"Are you all right?" Cye asked, offering a hand. She nodded, "Yes, I'm just a little tired. We must hurry, we have little time left." Everyone raced out of the room into the small block of sunlight of the room beyond. They heard a grating sound and looked up. A panel of rock was slowly closing over the hole. "Quickly, do as you did before! Lay Anubis down before me." She raised her staff, which was already glowing brightly. "I will take care of the rest." Rowen lay Anubis at Anglarana's feet and joined hands with the others. They all called upon their armor as before and again they were surrounded by a bubble of pure white light. Justin appeared in the room just in time to see a shot of white light speed upward and disappear through the narrow gap remaining in the ceiling. The stone ceiling closed the rest of the way with a loud clapping sound that echoed and reverberated throughout the room.  
  
Justin slowly walked into the still-open inner room. His boots crunched on the broken glass and he stared grimly at the smashed tube that had once contained one of his most important energy sources. He smiled humorlessly, "You are wiser than I thought, lady. I must make sure not to underestimate you in the future." He turned around swiftly and stalked out of the room.  
  
Four people stood outside of a castle in the Nether Realm. One man turned toward the woman holding a staff with rings on it. "Are you sure that light was from the Jewel of Life?" The woman nodded solemnly. "I am positive, and we must go to investigate." The others nodded their agreement and prepared for their journey back to the realm of Earth.


	7. Chapter 7

The Ronin Warriors characters and setting are not mine... etc., etc., etc. Enjoy. :D  
  
"Battle of the Elements"  
  
By Lady Eclipse  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
When the bright light had faded, the Ronins found themselves outside of Mia's mansion. All of the Ronins breathed sighs of relief. "Phew! That got a little too close for comfort!" Cye remarked.  
  
"Sage, your healing power?" Anglarana sounded very tired and her face still had a great deal of strain on it. Her characteristic light still coated Anubis' still form.  
  
"Right," Sage replied as he lifted up his sword. He closed his eyes in concentration and focused his healing powers on Anubis. "Wisdom," he murmured as his kanji symbol appeared on his forehead. Sage's sword glowed green, and the light flowed over to Anubis. The light was immediately absorbed. When Sage was finished, the silver green light that had surrounded Anubis was gone and Anglarana looked relieved.  
  
"Well?" Kento asked anxiously. Anglarana smiled reassuringly, but she still looked worried.  
  
"His body is whole, but there is still something missing. It is as if his spirit is not with his body." She knelt down beside Anubis and placed a cool hand on his forehead. "He sleeps, it is as though he is waiting for something..."  
  
"His armor," Rowen said quietly.  
  
"What do you mean, Rowen?" Ryo asked, his eyebrows frowning.  
  
"In order to save Lady Kayura from Badamon, Anubis gave up his armor. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but my armor is a big part of me now. I don't think it's just that easy to give it up." Anglarana looked up. "Yes, and who knows what Justin does to keep his victims from struggling."  
  
Ryo shivered. "Can you help him?" Ryo's worried eyes wandered over to the still body.  
  
"Maybe; but I will need rest first. I am too worn out to do anything more this day. Anubis should be fine until I am ready to begin." Kento picked Anubis up and started for the house. Anglarana stood very slowly. She took a few steps toward the surrounding forest, but she wavered slightly and nearly fell. She paused near a tree and leaned against it for support.  
  
"Are you okay?" Sage put an arm around her shoulder to steady her.  
  
"I am fine, I just need rest." She broke away from him and headed into the forest.  
  
"Wait! Aren't you coming inside?" Anglarana shook her head. "No, I will rest better outside. Go on inside, do not worry about me." Sage was about to protest further, but his attention was suddenly diverted. Whiteblaze had bounded out of the mansion and had collided into Ryo, knocking him down.  
  
"Whoa, Whiteblaze. It's good to see you too," Ryo said with a laugh. When Sage turned back, Anglarana was gone. The guys all changed back into their street clothes and walked inside.  
  
They were immediately greeted by Mia. She was wearing an emerald green blouse that was buttoned up all the way with the sleeves rolled up. She was also wearing tight jeans and sneakers.  
  
"I was so worried about you guys! What happened?" Her eyes lingered on Anubis.  
  
"It's a long story, Mia," Ryo said. Mia looked at all of the present people and suddenly looked concerned. "Where's Anglarana?"  
  
"She was really tired, so she went to the forest to rest." Sage shared Mia's concerned expression.  
  
"The forest? To rest? That's weird," Kento remarked. Mia smiled, "Well, I guess you'll have to give me the details later, after you've rested. And I definetley want to hear all of them. I don't know how on Earth you found Anubis, and alive too. Kento, go ahead and take him upstairs to the guest room. He is all right, isn't he?"  
  
"Sort of. Anglarana said that he's fine physically, but he's not spiritually there yet," Cye replied. Mia frowned as she watched Kento gently take Anubis upstairs. She found her mind wandering back to the past as it had been doing for the last few days.  
  
"Hey, Mia," Ryo called, interrupting her private reverie. "The night we fought with Justin..."  
  
"Who's Justin?"  
  
"That blonde guy who showed up in the middle of the battle who Crynis was totally subservient to. Didn't you see him?" Mia's hand went to her chest and she turned away from Ryo. "Um, no actually. I couldn't see anything with all that fighting going on." Sorry Ryo, Mia thought to herself, but the truth's just a little too weird. Ryo gently placed an hand on her shoulder. "Are you all right?" he asked softly. "You look so edgy." Mia conjured up a smile, "Yea, I've just been worried about you guys." Mia cursed inwardly, she hated lying to the guys like that, especially to Ryo. Ryo stared deeply into her eyes. His expression clearly told her he didn't buy it. Ryo was one of the few people who could read Mia so well. Or am I being that obvious? Mia moved away from Ryo and addressed the other guys who were regarding her with equally worried eyes now that Ryo had called their attention to her. "Well, I'll bet you guys are hungry. I was just making dinner. Why don't you guys just relax here and I'll make a big meal?"  
  
"Dinner?! Did I just hear someone mention the glorious creation that is a meal?!" Kento barrelled down the stairs. "I'm practically starving to death here!" Mia used the distraction to disappear into the kitchen to procure the promised meal. I'll tell them all later; once I get a chance to speak with Anglarana, Mia promised herself. This new change was turning out to be very isolating and confusing. I just hope Anglarana knows something.  
  
*****  
  
The following day was one of the most beautiful spring days that anyone could hope for. The sky was a brilliant blue and only an occasion tuft of silken cloud wandering across it. The day was very warm and there was the distinct scent of young, green things. The birds chirped loudly in their wild songs and a light breeze would randomly sweep through the area to keep the day from being hot.  
  
Somewhere in the heart of the forest surrounding the Koji household, Sage wandered through the trees. The tree branches wavered in the wind causing dancing shadows on the ground. The sunlight streamed forth between the gaps in the trees, gently touching the earth and plants. Sage paused in one of the sun beams and closed his eyes. The forest had an overwhelming sense of calm and rightness in it that day. One couldn't help but feel lighthearted when passing through. He would've liked to just sit there and enjoy the moment, but he was here for a reason. Anglarana's weariness was really concerning him. He just had to find out if she was okay. Mia had been equally worried. When Anglarana had failed to show that morning, Mia had asked Sage to go and make sure that Anglarana was okay. That was another thing that bothered Sage, Mia was acting very strangely as well. She was always touching her upper chest and had a definite lost quality to her speech and movements. I wonder what happened to her while we were gone.  
  
Sage put his concerns aside and kelt down to examine the ground better. There were all kinds of tracks embedded into the soft earth. He could make out one of a bear, a racoon, some bird tracks, and the tracks of what looked to be a very large deer. The cloven hoof prints had a wider and larger shape with a degree of hardness similar to a horse's hoof. I'd like to see the animal that made that, Sage mused. Perhaps after he spoke with Anglarana he could go find it. Sage smiled. I sure wish I had paid more attention when Father tried to teach me how to track things.  
  
The normal forest sounds grew hushed and reverent as Sage suddenly heard footsteps coming from directly behind. He spun around and came face to face with Anglarana. She grinned at him. "Were you looking for me?" Sage covered his surprise with his classic sweet smile. "Yes, actually. We were worried about you and wanted to make sure you're okay."  
  
"I'm fine," she reassured him. "I was just on my way to the mansion." Anglarana began to walk in the direction from where Sage had come. Sage joined her leisurely stroll and they made it back to the mansion in a short time. Mia was waiting outside of the mansion accompanied by Whiteblaze.  
  
Whiteblaze had been very attentive to Mia ever since the battle. Instead of getting hurt by his pet's transfer of attention, Ryo was worried. Whiteblaze obviously felt that Mia needed his help. The question was, what was wrong with her? Mia refused to admit that anything was wrong.  
  
Once Anglarana and Sage had reached Mia, she immediately leaned forward and whispered in Anglarana's ear. Anglarana glanced at Mia quizzically but nodded. Mia began to lead Anglarana away from the mansion to the lake followed by a stubborn Whiteblaze. Mia turned and smiled apoligetically at Sage. "Sorry, girl talk." Sage frowned as he watched the girls walk away. He shrugged and went inside. Maybe she'll tell Anglarana what's wrong. When Sage walked in, he found everyone in the living room. At his entrance everyone looked up expectantly. "What's up?" Sage asked, meeting the concerned expressions of his fellow Ronins.  
  
"Did you see Mia out there?" Rowen said. Sage nodded, "She just took Anglarana out to the lake for some 'girl talk'."  
  
"Something is wrong with Mia. I wonder why she won't tell us what it is?" Ryo looked exceptionally worried and sad.  
  
"Mia's very level headed. I'm sure she'll fill us in when she's ready to," Sage replied, trying to look as reassuring as possible.  
  
"I hope so," was all that Ryo said as he moved over to the window to stare at the two figures, obscured by distance, standing by the lake.  
  
*****  
  
Before Mia could say a single word, Anglarana reached forth a finger and lightly touched it to the center of Mia's upper chest. Mia flinched even though it didn't hurt. Anglarana smiled sympathetically. "Carrying the Jewel is never an easy burden. Especially if you don't understand what is happening or why." Mia felt shock and relief wash over her. Her expression must have betrayed her because Anglarana moved her hand to Mia's shoulder and gently smiled at her. "I think it is time to tell you of your past. From what I've heard of your grandfather and the files he kept of the old legends, I suspect he knew. Have you interpreted all of them?" Mia shook her head. Right about then she felt like the earth beneath her was gone and that she was floating disconnected from her emotions and her body. I think the medical term for this is shock, Mia thought to herself wryly. Oh well, I might as well enjoy it now. I'm sure I won't like it when the emotions set in.  
  
"First, tell me exactly what happened the night that the Ronins and I fought with Justin and his forces. I felt the Jewel of Life's energy aiding me, I could not have succeeded without its help. Yet deep within its pulse, I could feel it calling for another," Anglarana continued.  
  
"I felt it calling me, even before I saw the light. It was like a missing part of myself was calling out to be reunited with the whole. Not calling; begging, screaming. I couldn't think or reason, just act. It came from my room. When I walked in, the whole room was bathed in a blinding pink light. I somehow automatically knew where I'd find the source." Mia found herself babbling a stream of thoughts. The whole story flowed out of her without any prompting. It was like she was in a trance reliving the experience. "The closer I came to the source, the brighter the light. But, for some reason, it didn't hurt my eyes. It felt good to see the light. I've kept the Jewel of Life ever since the fall of the Dynasty. I tried to take it back to the lake where we had found it, but the water had closed in around it again. There was no way I could put it back. So I have kept it in my room, but it never reacted to me. I picked it up and then the light all of a sudden was too hard. By reflex I clutched the jewel to my chest. It was then that I felt this horrible pain in my chest. It felt like I was being stabbed by a burning poker. I tried to pull the jewel away to see what was happening, but it wouldn't budge. I lost consciousness then, when I awoke..." Mia unbuttoned her blouse until the Jewel of Life was revealed. It was embedded halfway into her chest and the skin around it had a pink tinge to it. Anglarana studied the jewel for a few moments, then took a deep breath and spoke. "The Jewel of Life is a little less than two thousand years old. It was after the imprisonment of Crynis that it was created. The clan of the ancients were the ones who assisted my people in his imprisonment. Unfortunately, the only way to capture him was to trap those of us who were near him as well. Crynis had managed to draw almost all of my people to him when he realized he was about to lose. But all of them agreed to be a part of his cage and were pushed into the bowels of the earth surrounded by powerful magics for all time. Only a few remained of my people.  
  
"Such a loss was unacceptable to the ancients as well as to us. We also feared that should Crynis escape, we would not be able to contain him again. So those remaining of my people and the ancients assembled and lended our powers to create an artifact that held the forces of life and creation. A jewel was harvested from the exact area where my people and Crynis slept. We all poured our power and energy into it, but it remained nothing more than a dead jewel. Then it was discovered that the essence of life that we sought could not be imitated. We needed to capture the seed of life and infuse it with the jewel that already held all the power of the ancients and of my people. But how, and where?  
  
"It was the human family by the name of Koji who gave us the answer. The head woman of the household was pregnant, she told us what we had forgotten. She reminded us where the seed of life exists. When the woman approached the jewel, it immediately sprung to life. No one is sure what happened next, but the jewel split in two. One half entered the belly of the woman and was never seen again. The other half remained, but now it had the strength and the force of life. We believe that the house of Koji has passed down the Jewel of Life's other half. For, throughout the years, the Jewel has only attended to their requests.  
  
"After its creation, the ancients locked it away so that no evil could steal it. So it has waited all these years to be used and to find its other half. I think my presence plus the traces of the Ancient One's power in the Ronin Warriors' armor triggered the Jewel of Life to fully awaken. Now it has bonded with the other half that you carry within you." Anglarana closed her eyes thoughtfully. "This is an act of destiny, Mia. I think we may finally be able to destroy Crynis and Justin and restore my people to this world." At that moment Mia felt very young and scared. But there was also a strength and an assurance in the newly revealed information. "All that is left now is too understand and learn how to control the wild powers that the Jewel of Life holds. But I can help you there." Anglarana grinned at Mia. Now I can really be of a help to the Ronins. Maybe this won't be so bad after all, Mia thought to herself  
  
________________________________________________________________________ Phew! (wipes forehead) that was quite a lot of stuff to happen in one chapter. Lots of twists and turns and the return of Anubis. I just had to bring him back, he's my favorite!! And a nice turn of events for Mia. Come on, you know she's got to have some power. That girl's too strong of a person to remain a victim of the Dynasty. ;D Hope you like it as much as I like writing it!  
  
Lady Eclipse 


	8. Chapter 8

Kay, you know the drill! Except for my little special characters and scenarios; the Ronin Warriors are not mine. (sigh) If only they were... (grins) ;P :D  
  
"Battle of the Elements"  
  
By Lady Eclipse  
  
Chapter Eight  
  
Justin stood in front of the crystal wall watching Anglarana unfolding Mia's power and past to her. He raised a slender hand and lightly touched Anglarana's image. A trace of nostalgia crossed his eyes, then disappeared like pebbles thrown into a vast chasm.  
  
"Very clever, my love. I have never grown tired of your wit and energy. I am glad age has not touched or scarred you like the others. That is the true reason the jewel lives again. Just like tumblers in a lock, the elements come together and fate plays her hand." Justin smiled softly to himself, "But I have an advantage over fate. I shall win, and you shall be mine again." Justin waved his hand and the wall became a simple black crystal again. He disappeared with a evil grin upon his face. "I think it is time for my intervention."  
  
*****  
  
Anglarana and Mia walked back to the mansion in silence, but the silence was a thoughtful one. Ryo met them halfway back. The expression on his face was so clouded by emotion that it was virtually unreadable. Anglarana smiled knowingly at him and turned to Mia. "I must go check on Anubis and prepare for his awakening." She increased her speed to a fast walk and left Mia and Ryo behind. Mia moved to follow her, but Ryo stood steadfastly in her way.  
  
"Mia, we have to talk." His tone was soft, yet left no room for arguments. Mia bit her lip and averted her eyes from his piercing gaze. Too much; too much has just happened to me these last few days for me to deal with this right now. Yet, a part of Mia desperately wanted to stay with Ryo; to tell him everything. She hated keeping secrets; especially from him. Before she could react, Ryo gently laid a hand on her chin and right cheek and guided her face so that she had no choice but to look up into his searching blue eyes. As Mia had suspected, Ryo's gaze held hers so tightly that she could not look away. "Mia..." Ryo's voice was husky with emotion. "What happened when we left? You seem so worried and distracted." He looked like he wanted to say more, but couldn't find the right words to express himself. Mia felt her defenses slipping away. The very defenses of stubborn pride and strength that the Koji family had been known for. The same defenses that were the only thing that was keeping her from having a nervous breakdown from the past events. Strange that she had never been this afraid when the Dynasty attacked and she was defenseless. Now that she had power it felt as though she were lost. It felt like she should be doing something, anything; but didn't have a clue what. Mia vaguely wondered if this was how the Ronins felt when they first discovered their power.  
  
Ryo's eyes spoke volumes that said more than a thousand words could have. Finally, the last of her willpower cracked and shattered leaving Mia vulnerable to her emotions and to Ryo's probing eyes. The effects of Anglarana's information and the strange presence of the jewel in her chest finally won out. Tears glimmered in her blue-green eyes and slid silently down her cheek. Once they started, they could not be stopped. More and more tears rushed down her flushed cheeks and sobs wracked her frame. Without a word Ryo drew Mia to him in a tight embrace. For long minutes Mia cried into Ryo's chest, her body shuddering with the impact of her emotions. She felt as though she would split in two. Through this time Ryo stroked her hair and murmured soothing words into her ear. Once the main force of her tears had left her body, Mia let her story flow from her lips; unable to stop it any more. When she was finished, Ryo lifted her chin to meet his eyes once again.  
  
"Mia, I'm sorry I wasn't there to protect you; to be there for you. But I promise you this, I will always be here for you from now on. Always." The last word was spoken in a emotion choked voice. Mia allowed herself to fall into his deep eyes and drown in their open compassion and feeling. She found herself tilting her head upward and leaning forward into his embrace. Ryo leaned down, ever so slowly, until their faces were centimeters apart. A bright flash in the sky accompanied by a shouted greeting caused Mia and Ryo to break apart. They stared up into the sky to see Kayura and the former Warlords floating down to them.  
  
"Lady Kayura?" Ryo ran over to where they landed. "What are you guys doing here?" Kayura smiled warmly. "It is good to see you again, Ryo of the Wildfire. But I am afraid my presence here is for a unfortunate reason."  
  
"We felt the energy of evil in this world and came to offer our assistance to any battle you are facing," Dais said, bowing slightly.  
  
"Then you've come at the right time. Come on, I think you better talk to Anglarana. She understands this better than any of us." Ryo gestured to the house as he spoke and began walking toward it. Kayura and the Warlords followed him without a word. Mia had already gone inside, somehow the Ancient's staff caused an uncomfortable tingling in her chest.  
  
The rest of the Ronins filed out of the house having already seen Kayura and the Warlord's approach. They all wore quizzical expressions and a general silence filled the area as the Ronins and the Warlords stared at each other. The silence was broken by the sudden, violent ringing of the staff that Kayura was holding. The rings on the staff clattered loudly and they glowed a bright yellow. Anglarana smiled as she walked into the center of the group.  
  
"Greetings, Child of the Ancients," Anglarana said as she approached Kayura. The light of the staff made the definition of her shape blur.  
  
Kayura's eyes widened and she let out a small gasp. "Greetings, guardian of life," she replied, bowing deeply. Her tone held great reverence. Anglarana smiled fondly. "I was afraid that the Clan of the Ancients had died out. How pleased I am to see you here." Kayura only nodded, apparently at a loss for words.  
  
"Wait, you know each other?" Sage asked, perplexed.  
  
"Not directly, no. But our people have been good friends for a long time," Anglarana replied as her eyes clouded with memory. Anglarana stopped a few yards from Kayura, the light from the staff became intense and had spurred the mark on her forehead to gleam as well. A muffled scream of pain erupted from the house, accompanied by a fierce shinning of pink light.  
  
"I would advise that you put away the staff for now." Kayura stared at Anglarana with a confused expression, but willed away the staff. Once she had done so, Anglarana's shape became solid again and her light died down. Ryo was in the house in a matter of seconds. He returned carrying the unconscious Mia. The upper part of her blouse had been shredded, revealing the glimmering Jewel of Life. The Ronins gasped in shock and the Warlords murmured their surprise to one another. Kayura gave Anglarana an even more confused expression. All eyes eventually found themselves resting upon the silver-haired woman. Her deep brown eyes regarded them all, then something gave way and she laughed.  
  
"I have truly missed the unabridged curiosity of humans. It seems as though things must be explained and secrets revealed. Else this will be a very difficult fight for you." She glanced to the forest thoughtfully. "I have never believed in keeping the reason for the battle from the ones fighting in it." She returned her gaze to the several waiting pairs of eyes. Only Kayura and Ryo did not look surprised or inquisitive. Kayura's curiosity was reserved for the jewel in Mia's chest. Ryo's eyes did not leave Mia's face and were filled with concern and pain. He only vaguely heard what Anglarana said or implied. His only concern was for Mia's welfare. Please let her be all right, I can't live without her!  
  
"One thing first, if you all don't mind. I would rather if we could revive Anubis. The body cannot live without the soul, and I fear that after everything is revealed, that you will not quite be in the mood to lend him your energy." She looked around expectantly, yet her eyes held no demand.  
  
"Anubis is alive? But, how can that be, I saw him die!" Kayura asked incredulously.  
  
"Perhaps he did, but the power of Justin is very great. Anubis' strength must have been appealing enough for Justin to revive him. After seeing Anubis, I have no doubt that he gave Justin what he needed to break Crynis from his prison while still invoking the sleep on his guardians. Anubis's body is alive and healthy, but his soul hides. I cannot call for it alone, I will need the strength of your armors to aid me." Everyone nodded solemnly. Anglarana smiled and nodded, "Then let us get to work." She turned and moved toward the house. She paused before Ryo and smiled at him reassuringly. "She is not harmed, just confused and scared." She whispered as she laid a gentle hand on his shoulder. A surge of serenity and hope lapped at his worried emotions until they settled into the back of his mind.  
  
*****  
  
The nine armors of Talpa, the last of the Ancients, and the guardian of life all stood around the bed that held the motionless body of Anubis. At Anglarana's instruction, the Warlords and the Ronins had changed into their armor and Kayura held her staff ready. Anglarana stood at the foot of the bed and summoned her power. The mark on her forehead began to slowly emit her characteristic light, then started growing brighter and brighter.  
  
As her light grew, Kayura's staff begin to ring again and glow yellow; as if in response to Anglarana's unvoiced plea. The two lights encountered each other a few feet above Anubis's chest. They swirled around each other, then combined into a glowing ball. The orb shot out tendrils of light that struck each of the other people present directly in the torso. Each armor's respective kanji symbol appeared on their wearer's forehead. The light that hit Anglarana only shifted its color to silver-green and acted as a syphon to fuel the orb with her power. Then the tendrils left the each person with a brightly shining ball of light. Nine small orbs in all, and each was the color of the armor from which it was taken. The tendrils of light pulled their load back until they rejoined the orb. The orb grew three times as large and flashed a pure white color.  
  
Anglarana exhaled and the sound seemed to echo amidst the amazing accumulation of power. All sense of reality was lost and all present went into a trance. Anglarana raised her arms toward the orb. "Kyaralk liorksli frionm, shoil aoiesr soalk alelai!" she whispered in an mysterious echoing voice while making a lifting motion. The orb followed her gestures and lifted higher in the air. "Alkd, islkdi ukmd morria toienh woiskeil Anubis rand!" she cried and thrust her hands swiftly down. The orb rushed down into Anubis. His body jolted and his back arched as the light consumed him, became a part of him.  
  
*****  
  
It was dark, but not the kind of dark that was suppressive and to be feared. It was a calm darkness, the kind that spoke of nothingness and peace. A lone man floated contentedly through the endless black void. He was smiling happily; no memories plagued his mind here. A bright beam of white light shattered the darkness. Anubis frowned, that was not right. The light was destroying his wonderful home. He tried to lift his arm to shield his eyes from the intense light, but his limbs felt heavy and sluggish. A thought twinged at the corner of his mind, but he brushed it away impatiently. Thoughts had no place here, they would only destroy the serenity.  
  
'Anubis.' A voice that sounded musical and lilting nudged gently at his mind. 'Anubis, time to awaken,' it whispered, just out of reach of comprehension. He tried to ignore the pressing call of the light, of the patient voice. But it grew stronger and more persistent. 'Come, you must come back. Your friends need you.'  
  
Friends? he thought to himself. What friends? I have no friends, only the darkness. But his mind twinged again in contradiction and presented him with an image. It was of a group of people; in armor.  
  
He pushed it away, angry now. The image was replaced instantly by more. Wait... I know them... somehow... R... R... Ronins...? His mind, encouraged now, provided him with more and more images and thoughts and feelings. Yes! I remember now! The Ronin Warriors and the fight against Talpa! I am Anubis. With that final acknowledgement of himself, Anubis moved for the light. They need me.  
  
This time his limbs responded eagerly and he soon found himself rushing into the light. There was a moment in which the light was so bright that he had to close his eyes tight. Then there was nothing. Anubis opened one eye experimentally and saw a wide, white ceiling above him. A pale, slim hand came into his line of vision and came to rest on his forehead. It was cool and there was a calm comfort in it. A face soon appeared as someone sat on the bed next to him. Concerned, brown eyes looked deeply into his. Those were the kind of eyes that someone could fall into and never find their way out again. Silver hair pooled over her shoulder as she leaned down to examine his eyes. She finally smiled, looking relieved. "Welcome back to the land of the living." She helped Anubis into a sitting position. He glanced around the empty room, trying to get his bearings. This looks like a room in Mia's mansion, he thought to himself with a vague, disconnected note.  
  
"You have been through much, but loyalty and self-sacrifice are always rewarded." Anglarana smiled and held out a fisted hand. "I believe this belongs to you." She opened her hand to reveal a small, crystal orb. Anubis stared at her in disbelief and took the crystal. It glimmered faintly as it sat in his palm as though happy to be reunited.  
  
"But how?"  
  
"Lady Kayura bade me to return this to you. Now that she is reawakened as a desendant of the Clan of the Ancients, she has no need of the Armor of Loyalty. Now rest, many words must be spoken and I have a feeling you will want to hear them in a more oriented and rested state." She rose from the bed and walked over to the door.  
  
"Wait." Anglarana turned with one hand on the partially opened door. "What is your name?"  
  
"Anglarana."  
  
"Thank you, Anglarana." She smiled brightly, nodded, then quietly left the room shuting the door behind her. Anubis settled back into the bed and allowed sleep to claim him.  
  
*****  
  
The sun was just beginning to touch the horizon in a silent surrender to the night. The sky was set on fire with brilliant orange and red hues. On the opposite side of the sky, the blues of day began to fade to darker shades and cautious stars peeked out from their hiding places one by one.  
  
Anglarana watched the scene with quiet appreciation as she walked along the lake shore. The wind lightly flirted with her hair trailing it out behind her like a trail of star dust. She paused to watch the sun and smell the fragrant evening air. A chill wind suddenly passed through causing her soft flesh to prickle. A hand came from almost nowhere and caught up her hair and pulled it away from her shoulders. Anglarana turned, but there was no fear or dread in her action.  
  
"What brings you now, Jyserriec?" (*pronunciation note* the 'c' is pronounced as 'c', not 'k'/ the 'r's are rolled slightly) The presence behind her laughed softly.  
  
"You, and you alone do not fear me." She shrugged nonchalantly. "I, and I alone know that you are not to be feared." Firm hands closed tightly on her shoulders. Her deep brown eyes unflinchingly met his light brown ones; sparkling with a hint of challenge. "Do not call me by that name. I ceased being Jyserriec a long time ago." His face held only cold melancholy and stern sense, yet a trace of pain flickered in his eyes.  
  
Anglarana reached up and delicately ran a finger down his jawline. "I do not believe that. I am sorry you act so and adopt a human name to cover your shame for your actions, but I will never believe your pain could ever truly erase my friend from this shell." He closed his eyes tightly, fighting of the emotion that he was so unused to. With lightning quick reflexes, he caught up her hand and laid it to his chest. "The beating you feel is only a function. Nothing else stirs there."  
  
Anglarana's gaze became piercing as she probed his eyes with her own. She did not reply, but the mark on her forehead glowed faintly. The light barely touched his skin. A deep silver, almost black, mark appeared on his forehead and glowed in response.  
  
Jyserriec cursed under his breath and covered the mark with his hand. His smile was a cross between amusement and malice. Only the beat of sweat that dripped from his brow betrayed his true thoughts. "I believe you are a bad influence on me. Luckily, one that I cannot resist." With those words he disappeared.  
  
"Unfortunately, one that I cannot resist either." Her eyes sadly returned to the horizon; the sun was already gone.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
Awww, I know, kinda warm and squishy this chapter. But I have to warn you guys, I am a hopeless romantic and you're just lucky that the whole story isn't like this. Thanks to sleep deprivation this story has a sense of humor! ;P Oh well, gave you some more surprising revelations and a promise of secrets revealed. What is Justin's connection to Anglarana? What does his newly revealed mark mean? What is Mia and the former Warlord's role in all of this? (dramatic music) Tune in next time for the Ronin Warriors Chapter nine; Battle of the Elements. (fade away, cut to credits)  
  
P.S.- thanks to everyone who wrote me with feedback. (all two of them)  
  
(Okay, Kryillion, now you know. Happy? ;D)  
  
--Lady Eclipse (does she ever shut up?!) 


	9. Chapter 9

(emphatic sigh) Do I have to put a disclaimer on every chapter?! lol ;P Ronin Warriors are not mine... yadda yadda yadda. I'll go fuss in the background; you enjoy the story. (wanders off humming the "Song That Never Ends")  
  
"Battle Of the Elements"  
  
By Lady Eclipse  
  
Chapter Nine  
  
The raging fire of the burning city sent out pulsing waves of incredible heat. People ran screaming in all directions like frightened sheep. They bleated out their horror and were easily driven by the faceless, armored demons. Winds of violent velocity swept through the area to further the flames and fear. Acid rain dripped from the stagnant clouds and the earth shuddered. In the midst of the violence and terror sat the patiently calm creature with the gruesome cheetah head. He grinned revealing two rows of gleaming white fangs that dripped a red substance.  
  
And then there was calm. The winds froze in their actions, the earth sighed and subsided in relief, and the fires bowed down to the entrance of the challengers. Crynis emitted an enraged snarl and turned to face his quiet foes.  
  
"Who dares to interrupt my play?" His raspy voice struck horror to the hearts of the people trapped in a silver cage to his left. The five prisoners stared hopefully foreward as a wave of pure serenity and comfort swept over them. Thus the entrance of the Tsorin was announced. (pronunciation note: the 'i' is said like the letter 'e') It was a group of thirty brightly shining entities that sent the soul shaking with awed humbleness and joy. The people within the cage fell to their knees weeping openly at the sight of the ancient race.  
  
A single man stood, although tears graced his cheeks as well. His white hair and monk's robes clung to his sweat dampened frame; his eyes glowed blue. He reached out a single hand and whispered a word to the air. One of the entities shifted its head and looked in his direction. It was as though a sunbeam had changed its course to shine on the man's face. The beautiful creature nodded its lovely head once, then strode proudly forward to the waiting beast. It spoke, but not in words that either the ear nor the mind could ever truly understand. It reached the very core of the heart and soul where no lie could ever exist. The voice was like the whisper of the traveling winds twisting through tuned wind chimes. 'It ends now. The mortal world has no use for us.' Crynis only smirked. "Are you admitting defeat then, Mules?" His connotation was both mocking and triumphantly bragging at the same time.  
  
'The mortal world has no use for the petty conflicts of the immortals. All of us have outgrown our use here. Return to your home in the welcoming earth and we shall hide in our forests; and all will be well.' Crynis growled as he flew at ramming speed toward his opponents. "I shall never give up the earth to the parasitical humans!!"  
  
*****  
  
Anubis awoke with a start covered by a cold sweat. The horrible battle scene of his dream sent his heart beating frantically. A sharp knock on the door brought him more firmly to the present. "Yes?" he croaked, his throat was sore and dry as though he had been screaming for hours. The door opened slowly and Mia's bright face peeked in. She gracefully walked into the room.  
  
"How are you feeling?" she asked. Anubis smiled fondly. "Well, and you?" Mia shrugged noncomittedly. "I've been better." Anubis cocked an eyebrow at her, but she spoke again before he could question her about her response. "Everyone's rested enough now for us to begin making plans on what to do about Justin and his forces. Anglarana asked me to come and get you." Anubis nodded solemnly and rose easily from the bed. His monk's robes where wrinkled and tattered from his last battle. Noticing this, Mia gestured toward the closet. "The guys keep their extra clothes in there, why don't you go ahead and change and come down when you're ready?" Anubis glanced at the closet thoughtfully.  
  
"Yes, I think I will. Thank you, Mia." Mia smiled gently and exited the room. Once he was dressed, Anubis wandered downstairs. The memory of his dream kept haunting his mind with fragmented flashes. Everyone was waiting in the living room; their faces turned expectantly toward Anglarana. Anglarana was absently running her fingers through her thick hair. Her eyes alone revealed an inner stress and concern. Anubis quietly sat down on the couch and smiled at everyone.  
  
"How are you feeling?" Kayura asked nervously. Anubis smiled reassuringly at her. "I am very well, thank you." His thoughtful eyes clearly told her that he did not hold her responsible. At Anubis and Kayura's words Anglarana was jolted out of her private thoughts. She glanced around the group, sighed, and stood up.  
  
"It seems as though we are at an impasse, my friends. Fate has brought all of the ancient artifacts together and the battle has become complicated. The lines between good and evil have become blurred so that no one can be sure which side to fight for. I have deceived you, but only for your own protection. I thought that this battle would only be between us, Crynis, and some unknown Dynasty survivor. I saw no need to bring you any further into this conflict than you had to be. But now I know the identity of the assailant, and Crynis is so much stronger than before. I must ask you to fight Crynis alone. Your combined power is more than enough to destroy him, even in his strengthened state. However; I, and I alone, must fight Justin. Only I will have the strength to fight him."  
  
Sage stood slowly and addressed Anglarana. "But there is something else that you wanted to tell us, isn't there?" His gaze was piercing. Anglarana's eyes dilated, but otherwise her face remained calm. He knows! Not all of the truth, but he knows! She checked an inner sigh and returned his gaze with such a strength and certainty that Sage took a involuntary step back. "Yes, I asked all of you here to tell you exactly who and what my people are. As well as the enemy and power you are up against." A dead silence filled the room; all eyes were focussed on her. "My people's original name is Tsorin, but we have been called many different names by many different cultures." She paused gathering up her courage. "I am not actually human, my present form is only a disguise to enable you and I to work together more easily. My true fo..."  
  
Whiteblaze began to growl fiercely at the living room window. Everyone's eyes wandered wearily to the object of Whiteblaze's concern. Directly in front of the lake stood Justin and Crynis. Justin grinned maliciously at the group. Within seconds the group had transformed into their armors and were outside. They all stood in a solid line facing the duo, ready for the attack with their weapons poised.  
  
"Enough! I will handle this. Jyserriec is not interested in battling any of you." Anglarana calmly walked past the row of defenders and faced Justin. Raw anger flashed in Justin's eyes. "I told you not to call me by that name."  
  
"It is your true name. I am honor-bound to call you by such."  
  
"Honor." He scoffed. "Is that what you call it? And are you still being so honorable while lying to your so-called friends?" Anglarana smiled humorlessly.  
  
"Let us just skip the customary pre-battle insults and get to why you are really here." Justin took a few steps forward and smiled, his brown eyes hypnotically twinkling.  
  
"Whatever you wish, Lady." His voice was flowing and soothing. "Anything for you, my friend. I do not wish to battle you at all. You are the only one who truly understands me." Anglarana's eyes filled with inner turmoil.  
  
"I understand your pain, yes. But I will never understand your present course of action. It is not fitting of one such as you to behave this way. We were not born for such action." She closed the gap remaining between them and lay a hand on his cheek. "Let it go. Not all are like her; remember the hope. It is all that we have, and it is our gift to this world." Justin closed his eyes, his emotions becoming too strong. He caught her hand and held it tightly; her touch was like medicine to his frayed and tattered emotions, and like a fever to his cold perceptions. "Come back to me, Jyserriec." Justin bit his tongue fiercely, the metallic taste of blood stopped his reeling emotions and brought him back to the present. He used his grasp on her slender wrist to twist her body around until she faced her allies. Everyone looked clearly confused. Sage and Kento had taken a few steps forward with their weapons uncertainly raised. The Warlords and Kayura looked on; trusting Anglarana's judgement.  
  
Mia watched from the porch, torn between conflicting emotions. She had a huge impulse to attack Justin to free Anglarana from his embrace. Yet, some foreign instinct within her told her to not do anything; to have faith. Mia was beginning to feel an undescribable empathy toward the solemn man.  
  
Anglarana closed her eyes and her mark begin to glow again with an insistent pulse. The light flowed back into the man holding her. Justin let out a gasp of pain before letting her go. He clutched his own forehead and fell to his knees.  
  
"You cannot deny what you are, nor can I." She turned back to the confused spectators and smiled softly. "'Tis time for truth. You all have proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are worthy and capable of handling my secret. I was prepared to tell you of my true form this day. However, by the chaotic decree of fate, it will be shown to you."  
  
Anglarana moved forward until she was half-way between the defenders and the attackers, her face held such a fierce pride and power that everyone had a hard time looking directly at her. Kayura smiled serenely at her and nodded as if in silent confirmation of an inner thought. Mia delicately placed a hand on her chest; it was tingling again.  
  
Anglarana's wearied laugh sounded like a summer breeze on a still lake. "I had hoped that the revelation could have been made in a better situation. Unfortunately, the time has come to fight. So fight I will; with all the strength of the Tsorin!"  
  
As she spoke the light emitting from her mark brightened, but the shine was unlike the burning strength she had used before in battle. Rather, it was soft and unobtrusive. It became a brighter shade of silver green and tentatively touched all around her with a sweet tenderness. The light enveloped her body and tugged at her outline. The once solid lines that defined her appearance expanded and remolded themselves. She arched her back and threw back her head as if in some supreme pain or ecstasy; her silver hair briefly kissed the ground.  
  
When she straightened again, the hair had separated itself so that the lower strands made up a glorious, flowing tail. Her arms and legs grew longer while her slim fingers and toes melded together. Her head twisted and lengthened until she bore a trim, delicate snout while her ears rose to the top of her head and became pointed and lost within her glorious mane. Her neck stretched into a graceful arc and shimmering, white fur covered her frame.  
  
And last, a single, spiralling, ivory horn burst from her forehead like a spear of pure light pointing directly to the heavens while it glowed a silver-green hue that sent waves of light and hope into the hearts of the bystanders. The light faded drastically as Anglarana brought her forefeet down to the earth, her cloven hooves hardly making a sound, and brought up her delicate head to emit a musical whinny.  
  
All stood watching, frozen like living statues; tears unashamedly running down their cheeks. Each person's kanji flared up brightly on their foreheads. Crynis snarled with rage and pain as the light brushed his skin. Justin briefly looked up from where he crouched on the ground.  
  
"Unicorn," Sage whispered in a shaky voice. Anglarana turned her head so that her deep brown eyes could look at him; one stubborn forelock dangled just above her right eye.  
  
'Yes,' she replied, her voice echoing in their souls rather than in their ears. All the Ronins and Warlords could do was stare; all else forgotten. Crynis was the first to break the moment by screaming furiously and charging at the beautiful creature.  
  
"No!" Ryo cried and ran forward with his swords ready. With a speed and agility unknown to humans, Anglarana spun around and slashed with her horn. The tip caught Crynis on the arm and made him howl with torment and pure hatred.  
  
"So, the Tsorin live! Now I will have my revenge, Mule! I have not forgotten your intrusion and my imprisonment. But your people are now the imprisoned ones, and the ancients are dead in the dust! There is no stopping me any more, I shall torture you for all eternity for the pain you have caused." He spat as he violently rose his arms to the sky and cried: "Earthquakes! Winds!" The earth heaved and lurched violently. Anglarana stomped her forefoot and threw back her head with a defiant mental scream. 'You shall not have them!' Her horn burst into light and the earth and sky grew quiet; bowing down to her might. Crynis rose into the air at a rapid speed until he was over a hundred feet in the air. He then folded his wings to his side and plummeted to the ground, his talons extended, aiming for tender equine flesh. Anglarana reared and thrust her sharp horn in answer to his unspoken challenge.  
  
"AROW SHOCK WAVE!" Rowen cried and sent an arrow burning with blue light toward the diving monstrosity. Crynis deftly dodged it while still holding his target true.  
  
"SNAKE FANG STRIKE!"  
  
"THUNDER BOLT CUT!"  
  
"WEB OF DECEPTION!" Each flash of energy missed Crynis by only a fraction of an inch; but they missed him all the same. Anglarana whinnied shrilly and thrashed her head to emphasize her sharp horn. Crynis chuckled cruelly before crying out, "LIGHTNING!" A bolt of lightning shot forth from the heavens and struck her horn directly. Her spiral flared up in painfully bright, white light. The earth around them became scorched, but Anglarana still stood pawing at the air ready for the descending beast. Crynis collided into Anglarana seconds later knocking her to the ground. He leaped away limberly, but a sizable cut on his throat was his reward for his actions.  
  
As Crynis tentatively applied pressure to his neck to stop the flow of the bright red blood, Ryo ran forward yelling, "FLARE UP..."  
  
"Winds!" Crynis cried with a wide arm gesture. A massive whirlwind swept Ryo up stopping him from finishing his call of power. Ryo slowly lost consciousness as the vortex battered his body and ripped the air from his lungs.  
  
'No!' Anglarana's voice was torn with horror. She tossed her head in the direction of the whirlwind; her silver-green light piercing it to the core. The winds dissipated and Ryo fell heavily toward the ground. Rowen leapt into the air to catch his comrade. Crynis took advantage of Anglarana's temporary transfer of concentration to ram into her savagely.  
  
Anglarana crashed into the earth with a small whimper of pain. Her horn went dull as she struggled for breath and strength. With the speed of a viper, Crynis darted his head forward, fangs flashing whitely, to finish his grisly work. Just when his teeth were about to make contact with Anglarana's glistening coat, a flash of gray light shot before his face. Crynis turned away and fiercely looked from person to person to see who had dared to attack him. His eyes fell upon Justin, whose arm was still held out and shining with the pale gray light. Fire flickered in his eyes. "I told you that you were not to harm her." His voice was deathly cold and controlled, but it also held a firm checked anger that said otherwise. Crynis curled his upper lip with distaste. "You are too weak. This beast will be my destruction if I let her live!" Justin raised his eyebrows. "Are you challenging me, then?" The laugh that came from Crynis's throat sent a shiver down everyone's spine. "I don't think I care to follow a Mule anymore." He raised his arms into the air, "FIRE AND LIGHTNING!" Two blazing bolts shot down from the now cloudy sky at Justin. Justin raised his arm in a dismissive fashion. The bolts crashed into an invisible sphere that surrounded him. Shortly after calling the lightning, Crynis flew up into the air until he was above the clouds. He then flew toward the volcano to begin the next phase of his plan.  
  
Justin briefly watched Crynis leave, then immediately ran to Anglarana's side. He gently rubbed her soft nose and pushed the damp silver strands of hair from her eyes. Anglarana stared at him weakly, her sides heaving. Justin swore under his breath. It was never supposed to be this way! He closed his eyes and concentrated. A silver, star-shaped mark appeared on his forehead as he placed a hand on her sore barrel. The light slowly found its way to her body, then her entire frame began to glow with it.  
  
"Hey! You leave her alone, you monster!" Kento growled while running forward, weapon poised. Justin simply waved his hand and a stream of black energy knocked him to the ground.  
  
"Come on, let's stop 'em before he hurts her!" Rowen cried as he pulled an arrow from his pack. Sage held out a hand to stop him. "I don't think he's trying to hurt her. It looks like he's healing her." Sage's sword was glowing faintly with a green light as though it were agreeing with him. "After all, it was Justin who saved Anglarana from Crynis." Everyone just stared at him, then back toward Justin. Justin was totally engrossed in the still form laying before him. Finally, the silver light disappeared and Anglarana was able to raise her head. Her delicate nose brushed his cheek.  
  
Justin carefully placed his hands on her sides and urged her to her feet. Anglarana complied with some ease, she tossed her head to throw off the dust from her mane causing a laconical shower of silver to cloud the sky around her. Justin smiled with an almost relieved look on his face; then faded away in a swirl of gray smoke. Without a single word, Anglarana steadily cantered over to where Ryo lay unconscious.  
  
She lowered her head until the tip of her horn touched his chest. He glowed briefly with her silver green light, then opened his eyes and smiled at her. No one knew what to say, nor had they the energy to say it. They all just stood and stared at each other and at Anglarana too weary to try to formulate the thousands of questions that this battle had arisen. Anglarana's deep, sad eyes examined each person carefully before she gracefully turned and began to walk away into the comforting depths of the forest. 'I shall return when you have rested; when you are ready for me.' 


	10. Chapter 10

Okay, once again I submit the standard disclaimer. But Anglarana and the villains are mine, all mine!! You can't have them! Mwhahahaha! ;p  
  
"Battle of the Elements"  
  
By Lady Eclipse  
  
Chapter Ten  
  
Once Anglarana had disappeared into the depths of the shadowy forest, everyone silently left in different directions. Sage, with a stubborn expression on his face, walked into the forest followed by Rowen. Ryo remained sitting where he had fallen, staring absently into space. Mia simply went inside to upgrade the file she had started when the attacks had first begun. She felt a need to regain contact with the analytical world in which she used to live, where no unexplainable surprises existed.  
  
*****  
  
Sage and Rowen followed the cloven hoofprints deep into the forest, then they suddenly stopped. There were no other prints anywhere in the vicinity. Sage sighed and glanced around. "Now what?" Rowen pursed his lips thoughtfully as he surveyed the surrounding trees. "Maybe we should call for her," he replied with a shrug.  
  
"I don't think it will be that easy. She must be purposely avoiding us."  
  
"What makes you think that?"  
  
"The last time I came here to look for her, it was she who found me. I think she knows exactly what goes on everywhere in the forest." Rowen slowly nodded as he thought on the matter then cupped his hands around his mouth and shouted: "Anglarana! Come on out and talk to us!" Sage raised an eyebrow at Rowen. "What else can we do?" Rowen said with a wry grin in reply. Rowen brought his hands to his mouth to shout again but was interrupted by Sage's gasp of surprise. "What is it?"  
  
"Do you remember seeing that trail before?" Sage asked pointing at a narrow deer trail lined with weeping willow trees. Rowen slowly shook his head. "Do you think this is an invitation?"  
  
"Well, there's only one way to find out," Sage solemnly said as he started walking down the newly revealed trail. Rowen followed while suspiciously glancing around him as he went. They continued down the sunny trail without an incident. Not a single branch nor root impeded their advance. The air was filled with the fragrant scent of wild flowers and the willows's tendrils floated out in the light breeze.  
  
*****  
  
Anglarana stood next to a large, moss covered boulder in the middle of a clearing filled with tall grass and a carpet of random wild flowers. A small creek flowed quietly to one side running eventually into the lake in front of Mia's mansion. She wearily closed her eyes, wondering what she should do next. Rowen's call echoed through the trees, and the wind whispered their request. She admired their persistence, but had no idea of how to deal with them. Everything was permanently changed now that they knew what she really was; it always did. Soon, the blobs of yellow and red that leaked through her eyelids began to take shape and glow with a calm blue hue. The Ancient One smiled at her warmly as he casually leaned on his staff. If a unicorn could cry, that would be one of the times she would have.  
  
"How I have missed your wisdom."  
  
"You are older than I; I do not think there is anything that I can tell you that you do not already know," he replied.  
  
"You know as well as I that age has little to do with knowledge or understanding. I'm afraid that my self-imposed confinement has left me at a loss on how to relate to humans." The Ancient One moved over to her and placed a gentle hand on her soft neck. "Do not worry, they are ready for you. Already, two eagerly demand answers. This event was a good opportunity for the both of you to come to terms. They need truth if they are going to be of any help to you and your mission. It is time that you stopped hiding from them; they must understand what you face."  
  
"There is nothing left for me to tell them about Crynis."  
  
"No, I mean Jyserriec," he said sternly. Anglarana blew through her nose, causing her forelock to float up for a moment. "There is no reason to fear him now. I, with the aid of the Jewel of Life, shall be able to counter his deeds now that he is without the aid of Crynis." The Ancient One sighed. "You know what I mean, Anglarana."  
  
"What does my relationship with him have to do with them? He has let his pain consume him and must be stopped from hurting other living beings."  
  
"There is much more to this than that. You know you need to save him just as much as you must save the humans."  
  
"I know," she whispered, her head lowered slightly as though she were burdened with carrying the world itself. "Do you think that they can accept what I have to say?"  
  
The Ancient One smiled broadly. "Of course they can; renew your faith. That is the best weapon that you can have in the great battles to come." Anglarana nodded and gave him an equine equivalent to a smile. "Thank you." The vision faded and she opened her eyes. She still wasn't sure of what she was going to do or say, but she would at least make the gesture. She transformed into her human shape and waved her hand in the direction of the forest to the east. 'Let them come,' she murmured to the air.  
  
*****  
  
Rowen and Sage finally reached the clearing. Anglarana sat in her human form on a boulder with her legs neatly folded up underneath her; her eyes were closed in meditation. They moved over toward the boulder until they were only a few yards away from her. They stood in silence, unsure of how to proceed.  
  
"What is it that you wish of me?" she said without opening her eyes. Sage and Rowen exchanged glances before Sage replied, "This last battle just raised a lot of questions, and we want answers."  
  
"So soon?"  
  
"Yes, I want to know exactly what's going on here." Anglarana sighed and opened her eyes. She stared at him for a moment then replied, "What do you want to know?"  
  
"Tell me about Justin; you called him Jyserriec, and it seems like you two really know each other well." She frowned as her eyes clouded with memory. "He's an old friend. We have known each other since we were both yearlings."  
  
"Both yearlings? But that would make Justin..." Rowen trailed off as his busy mind began working on all the meanings of that implication.  
  
"But that's impossible! Justin can't be a unicorn," Sage cried in disbelief.  
  
"Do you really think that any creature is completely immune to all emotions?"  
  
"But I thought unicorns couldn't have negative emotions." Sage's voice was lined with incredulity.  
  
"Any good emotion has to be coupled with a negative one. Else there would be no balance and we would easily be destroyed. However, a unicorn is born with certain safe-guards to prevent our considerable power from being perverted. There are two emotions that unicorns are unable to feel. They are hate and regret; plus we are born with unending empathy for all living things."  
  
"Regret? Why regret?" Rowen injected.  
  
"Regret, for an immortal being, is highly dangerous. Regret has a tendency to fester on the soul of an individual leading to bad emotions. Living forever is hard enough; regret would make it unbearable."  
  
"So why is Justin so bent on destroying us?" Sage asked. Anglarana smiled faintly; her eyes became soft with a quiet affection. "Justin's real name is Jyserriec. He was born a unicorn and lived with a sensitive love for all living things. He is one of the finest warriors of my people and is one of the last awake members of the Tsorin."  
  
"Then what could have changed him so much?"  
  
"He has not changed very much at all. I still see the gentle soul I once knew deep within him. His pain is all that makes him seem evil.  
  
"As I said before, we have known each other since we were but foals and have been very close friends ever since. Back before the capture of Crynis, unicorns were never confined to single forests. We used to wander where we pleased and helped the earth's creatures wherever there was need. Unfortunately, envy began to poison the human heart. Some strange rumor began that is was our horns alone that were the source of our power. Humans began to hunt us with blind greed. It was then that we decided to withdraw from humans and go into the forests where we would no longer give them the temptation.  
  
In the period before we decided to retreat to our forests, Jyserriec fell in love with a human maiden. She was lovely and very intelligent; unfortunately, though, she was not immune to the power-lust that infected many of the time." Her eyes became sad as the memories passed from her lips. "Jyserriec would often tell me of her and speak of how his love for her would never die. He truly believed that he could make a relationship with a human work. However, that was not to be. Lured under the bad influence of her parents, she went to the forest and lulled Jyserriec into a state of unawareness. Her brother then stole up behind him ready to cut off his horn. Fortunately, at the last moment Jyserriec woke up and managed to escape."  
  
"Wait a minute, I thought only an innocent and pure-hearted maiden could touch a unicorn. I don't think anyone who would want to kill another creature by deception is exactly innocent," Sage remarked. Anglarana faintly laughed. "I'm afraid that bit has been a little romanticized. Any living creature can touch a unicorn. But a unicorn can only be touched if they let the being touch them; at the moment of the touch we are vulnerable to mortal weapons. We can generally tell the true nature of a being, but love tends to make one neglect the truth.Even after the betrayal of the human, Jyserriec came back to her professing his love. He had talked himself into believing that her parents had forced her into the act and that she was still pure and true.  
  
In return for his eternal profession, she again tried to lull him and cut off his horn. She would have succeeded had it not been for me and another watching from a distance. We managed to free him and he finally realized what the woman really was. He was heart broken and the sense of betrayal drove him insane. He came to believe that all humans were evil, so he became a hermit and hid from all of us in some unknown place. I have often in the past tried to help him by visiting him and offering my friendship to ease his wounds. But it was to no avail, and I eventually had to sever my ties to him in hopes that the isolation would bring him back to me.  
  
He changed his name to Justin and assumed a human form to save the Tsorin from the shame he would evoke for his transgressions. Thus is the power of love and betrayal on even the most powerful of creatures." She looked up at Sage and Rowen with a strong, dedicated gaze. "But even through all his pain and the rage, I still clearly see Jyserriec in Justin's eyes."  
  
"That's a kind of poetic justice there. He's doing all this carnage and revenge through the guise of a human," Rowen commented thoughtfully. Anglarana nodded and smiled at him.  
  
"So what made him all of a sudden go into action? And what are his plans?" Sage asked.  
  
"I do not know the answer to either of those questions. But after what happened with Crynis, I do not think that Jyserriec is your main concern anymore."  
  
"So what do we do now?"  
  
"We have to assemble our allies and destroy Crynis."  
  
"Allies? But everyone we know who can help us is already here."  
  
"Not everyone; we have to free my people." Rowen and Sage nodded. "What do we have to do?"  
  
"Come, I know what must be done," Anglarana replied as she slipped off the rock and marched swiftly down the deer track from which they had entered. Rowen and Sage followed eagerly; their minds racing with what had been said and with what was to come.  
  
*****  
  
Crynis stood at the foot of the volcano grinning to himself. Yes, yes; all is coming together perfectly. The area surrounding him was a circle of barren rock surrounded by an impossibly thick tangle of vegetation. Ancient quartz statues with writing etched into them formed a wide square at the edges of the cracked, dry ground. Soon I shall be rid of these man pests! My plan is finally ready and the time for action has come. Placed in a line in front of him were nine fist sized, oval-shaped gems: amber, obsidian, a dark blue stone carved from a comet, gold, a sapphire, silver, a diamond, an emerald, and a ruby. He chuckled to himself, How ironic that the end to the human species shall be brought about by their very defenders! He took a handful of dust and tossed it into the air.  
  
"And now it is time for the next stage... the conversion of the Jewel of Life!" With that he leapt into the air with a massive surge of wind and flew toward his next victim hidden in a cloud of dust. The trees shuddered at his touch and dark grey clouds gathered over the sacred ceremonial place. The earth itself knew what was to come, and winced.  
  
*****  
  
While Anglarana told Jyserriec's story to Sage and Rowen, everyone else had regathered, and Mia finally told the them about her family's history with the Jewel of Life and her consequential bonding with it. Anglarana split up with Sage and Rowen to do some 'exploring'. The two groups exchanged stories and discussed the recent events while waiting for Anglarana's return.  
  
"You must have known all the time, Kayura." Ryo tried to keep the accusatory tone out of his voice but failed. Kayura nodded slowly. "The Clan of the Ancients have always been privileged with the knowledge of the Tsorin. We have spent the centuries protecting the last few from the eyes of man and keeping their legend alive within the hearts of all."  
  
"But what's the good of a unicorn existing if they never try to help us? There's a lot of sick and dying people out there and they never lift a finger to help anyone!" Kento countered.  
  
"Yes, but we must consider that it was man who chased them away. The safety of the last unicorns had to be ensured. Whether you realize it or not, they have always helped humans greatly," Kayura retorted.  
  
"How?" Ryo demanded.  
  
"Hope; the legend of such a pure and beautiful creature gives us hope. The hope that all evil can be beaten and that goodness and peace shall always prevail. They personify all that is pure and true in this world," Cye quietly replied. A thoughtful silence filled the room as everyone pondered upon that comment. Mia placed a hand on her chest as the tingling began again; however, it wasn't exactly unpleasant anymore.  
  
"That is the secret to life." Everyone turned in surprise at the musical voice. Anglarana stood in the open door in human form, smiling at them. "Well done, my friends. You have successfully found the key to the heart of all living beings."  
  
"Hope? That's the key to life?!" Kento said incredulously.  
  
"Yes, hope is what gives a person the will to keep going, no matter how hard and painful their trials become. Hope is what we can hold on to when there is nothing else left. Now I know you can free my people from their prison." Everyone looked up sharply at her.  
  
"Prison?" Anubis prompted.  
  
"Yes, in our last battle against Crynis, we only had enough power to trap him. With the power of the Dynasty coursing through his veins, Crynis could not be destroyed, and could not be contained without being constantly surrounded with the power of light. So as a last resort, three fourths of the entire population of the Tsorin surrounded Crynis and pulled him into the earth. For centuries they have been locked under ground forever sending their power to hold Crynis and his vile powers.  
  
After that, the scant few Tsorin went about trying to cover for our diminished numbers. We continuously traveled and attempted to help those in need. When we began to be hunted, we decided to eternally exile ourselves to different forests and watch over man from afar. However, just a few months ago, Crynis was able to break the chains of his prison and escape. That in itself is quite unusual, but the fact that he escaped while my people still remained in a trance protecting the empty cell is unbelievable."  
  
"Do you know what happened?" Dais asked.  
  
"Part of the spell that created Crynis's prison dictated that should Crynis be freed, all would be freed and that the only one who could alter that spell was one of those present at the time of the casting. The only other creatures who could understand and cast such an alteration would have to be Tsorin. So one of the remaining unicorns did it. I'm starting to belive it was Jyserriec. His teaming up with Crynis and his history of bitterness makes him the most likely suspect." She paused briefly and cleared her throat; her eyes would meet none of those who sought them. "At any rate, I believe I have the power to free them. Although, I need all of your assistance. The Jewel of Life must be present to rejuvenate them once they are awakened for they will be greatly weakened from so many years of pouring out their energy with no sustenance to support them. Plus, we need to all stay together; there is no telling when Crynis intends to attack again."  
  
"What was the deal with Crynis in that last battle? All of a sudden he just turned on Justin and disappeared," Rowen queried.  
  
"I was expecting that schism. The only thing that kept Crynis under Jyserriec's power was that they both wanted the destruction of humans and that Jyserriec was stronger than Crynis. But no amount of time nor pain can truly erase Jyserriec's true nature. His reluctance to carry out his plans of destruction and Crynis's prejudice against his species resulted in great hostility from Crynis. After all, Jyserriec was a part of the imprisonment spell."  
  
"All right, then! Let's free your people and kick some serious Crynis butt!" Kento exclaimed leaping from his seat. Everyone laughed and nodded their agreement. However, Anubis had a concerned expression on his face.  
  
"What about Jyserriec? Will he prove to continue being an enemy?" Anglarana pursed her lips. "I do not know. Without Crynis to do the main fighting, he will either back down or confront us directly. Either way, we have not heard the last from him." She lowered her voice so that it was hardly audible to anyone else. "At least I haven't."  
  
"Do you know where the Tsorin are imprisoned?" Mia asked.  
  
"Yes, I will take you there once you all have recovered."  
  
"I think we all have had enough of sitting around, let's go free your people right now," Ryo stated. Anglarana smiled faintly at him and at everyone else's nodding faces.  
  
"Tomorrow, then." With that she left with a swirl of silver hair.  
  
*****  
  
Anglarana smiled to herself as she walked into the forest. How she admired the strength and passion of the human spirit. Perhaps that is what came from having a short life. Eternity had a tendency to make one loss perspective on the importance of the act of living. Her smile became sad as her thoughts drifted to Jyserriec. How well he knew that fact, but instead of cherishing his moments of love, no matter how ill fated they where, he became scorched by them and his pain filled heart misled him. She looked up past the wavering branches to the glimmering sun and sighed. "Oh, my Jyserriec, I wish you would let me help you..."  
  
A brief startled scream cut her inner monologue short. With a gasp she raced to the source of the scream. She rounded the lake and reached the mansion just in time to see Crynis carrying Mia off into the sky. The Ronins where racing after her hurling attack after attack, but Crynis deftly dodged them while maintaining a firm grasp on the wriggling Mia.  
  
"Clouds!" Crynis called and was immediately answered by being surrounded by a thick mass of grey clouds that completely hid him from sight.  
  
"Not this time, fiend!" Anglarana called shrilly. The mark on her forehead began glowing fiercely and a shot of light burst from her into the mass of clouds. Mia's shrieks became intensified as Anglarana's beam of light was answered by several pink ones shooting in all directions. Crynis gave a howl of pain and Mia fell through the blanket of clouds plummeting to the earth. Crynis quickly recovered from the attack and dived down after her. Kayura held up her staff and made a thrusting motion toward Mia. The rings on the staff chimed brightly and a yellow light formed around Mia that gently lowered her to the ground.  
  
"FLARE UP NOW!"  
  
"SUPER WAVE SMASHER!" Each attack hit on opposite sides of Crynis.  
  
"QUAKE WITH FEAR!" Anubis cried a second after Ryo and Cye sent out their attacks. Crynis was too busy dodging the other attacks to be able to miss the entangling web of chains that shot out of the ground.  
  
"AAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHH! Flaming lightning!" Bolts of burning lightning fell from the clouds cutting away at the binding chains. Crynis landed heavily on the ground, then lifted his hands to the sky in preparation for another attack.  
  
"Not this time, buddy," Kento said with a smirk. "IRON ROCK CRUSHER!" Crynis barely got himself into the air before the surge hit him.  
  
"ARROW SHOCK WAVE!" The dazzling blue arrow grazed Crynis's arm.  
  
"WEB OF DECEPTION!"  
  
"SNAKE FANG STRIKE!" As Crynis dodged the strands of Dais's web, Sekhmet's attack managed to hit him full force. A line of blood appeared across Crynis's chest and he growled horribly as he clasped the wound.  
  
"Now you die, mortal!" He thrust his hands out in the shape of a "Y" and tossed his head back. "TOTAL ELEMENTAL DESTRUCTION!!" he half-snarled and half-howled. Great vortexes of wind raked across the battle field while acid rain and lightning poured from green tinged clouds. Somewhere in the distance the volcano began erupting as the earth shook so violently that trees where uprooted. Water from the lake rose up in mighty waves and crashed upon any living thing it could reach.  
  
"THIS WILL STOP NOW!" Anglarana screamed. She had transformed into her true form and was the only one who was able to stand on the bucking ground and not have to dodge the rain of death from the sky. The area immediately surrounding her seemed immune to the effects of Crynis's attack; even the ground stood still for her.  
  
'To me, Ronins!' she called as she ran for the nearest unconscious figure. Most of the Ronins were so badly battered that they could do no more than pick up their fallen comrades and limp over to the throbbing light of Anglarana's horn. Once everyone was in her protective sphere, Anglarana sent a strong ray of light at Crynis. He mockingly laughed and easily dodged the light. She sent beam after beam, but to no avail.  
  
A beat of sweat formed on her brow and her legs began to wobble as her strength began to fade. I must succeed! They are counting on me! she thought and tried to rally what little power she had left to try and strike the grotesque beast. The ground beneath her started trembling slightly as her strength gave way.  
  
Suddenly beams of silver-green light originating from another area were piercing the air around Crynis. Crynis gave a surprised grunt as he scanned the area for his unseen assailant. Jyserriec appeared next to Anglarana while still sending forth beams of light at him. Anglarana glanced over and gave him an equine equivalent of a relieved smile. Jyserriec grimly returned it while continuing his assault. Crynis soon lost his pleased expression; his elemental attack gradually ceased as he was forced to concentrate all his energy to dodging the two fatal shots of light.  
  
Mia, who had safely reached the ground, stood slowly up with a determined expression. She closed her eyes and the jewel in her chest flared up with intense pink light. She waited until Jyserriec had sent a shot followed by Anglarana sending him into a defensive position with his back to her. Then, with an assured smile, she sent out a bubble of light that surrounded Crynis.  
  
Crynis snarled with rage and tried to spin about, but was trapped in mid-air. Jyserriec and Anglarana then sent a simultaneous shot of light that caught Crynis head on. Crynis howled and shrieked like a demon let loose from the bowels of hell. The energy from Jyserriec and Anglarana's attack dispelled the mild capacity of the pink light. Crynis immediately flew up into the cloud and back to the volcano to reclaim his shattered strength and body. Jyserriec sent more shots of light after him, but was stopped by Anglarana.  
  
"No more for today. He is gone, and we must recuperate." Jyserriec looked her up and down. Once satisfied that she was physically unharmed, he commented, "Do not think that I'm on your side. I am only here to destroy the traitorous Crynis. I never leave loose ends in my operations." Anglarana bowed her head lending some energy to heal Rowen who was bleeding heavily from the head. "Except for me."  
  
"Except for you," Jyserriec echoed wistfully. "Why do you help these foul beings?" Anglarana moved on to the next injured human and started healing him. A faint pink light glowed about her giving her the strength she needed to heal.  
  
"Because they are worthy of such attention." She looked up at him. "I find that most humans are nobble and compassionate once they are given half a chance to show it."  
  
"I have yet to see humans of such character."  
  
"Oh, you have hundreds of times. You just neglect to remember them in favor of one evil person. Look at these humans here before my feet; they are ready to give up their lives to protect this world; even though few people will ever know of their great deeds." Jyserriec remained silent at that.  
  
"You are going to free them, aren't you?" he asked softly. She nodded slowly as she finished healing Cale. "Will you attempt to stop me?"  
  
"It does not matter to me one way or the other what state our kin is in. Crynis is not longer under my protection." She brought her head up sharply and gave him a harsh stare. " 'Tis time to give up the past. One should never speak for the whole; you know that, Jyserriec." He refused to meet her gaze and remained silent. She laughed whimsically, "Forgiveness is supposed to be a characteristic of our people, according to some cultures."  
  
"Humans over-romanticize things."  
  
"Yes, what a wonderful imagination humans possess, and the gentleness of heart to believe in it as well." Jyserriec shook his head and turned away. "Have fun playing with your precious humans. Once this is done with, my plans shall continue." Anglarana jerked her head up and wearily trotted over to him. "You shall do no such thing. If that is still your quest, then we might as well fight right now and get it over with."  
  
"My fight is not with you."  
  
"I promised to protect this world and all the living creatures upon it. By my oath of honor, I shall protect them. If you wish the destruction of the human beings, then I must stop you at all costs."  
  
"You are far too drained to fight me." Anglarana tossed her head. "I don't have a choice. It is my duty."  
  
"How can one race of beings that eat up the world from underneath them warrant your help? What could they have possibly done to earn such respect and loyalty from you?"  
  
"It is their spirit that attracts me. They are one of the rare creatures that possesses the capacity for both good and evil. It is an amazing freedom and responsibility all at the same time. Even we do not have such a skill and inner strength." Jyserriec locked eyes with her, trying to remember the faith in mankind that he had once known. "Perhaps... perhaps, I shall stay. It should be by my hand that Crynis dies." Anglarana bowed her head slightly in agreement, then went back to work tending to the Ronins.  
  
Mia sat silently watching the exchange. She smiled and continued to let a stream of energy flow into Anglarana. For the first time in days; no, in years, she felt at peace.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
A little chatty this chapter, so I threw in the fight scene so that you wouldn't completely fall asleep. This is my first true fight scene so you'll have to tell me what you think of it.  
  
Lady Eclipse (nightcloud8@hotmail.com)  
  
"In a breath I lost my faith, But by the courage of a defenseless child, it was regained." 


	11. Chapter 11

Okay, once again I submit the standard disclaimer. But Anglarana and the villains are mine, all mine!! You can't have them! Mwhahahaha! ;p  
  
Battle of the Elements  
  
By Lady Eclipse  
  
Chapter Eleven  
  
Nine men dressed in subarmor, two women and a tiger hiked swiftly through a thick jungle. A few paces ahead of them, a woman and a man walked with smooth, easy strides. As they walked, the trees and foliage opened before them and closed once the last member of the group has passed. The woman and man in the front murmured softly to one another in what seemed to be an argument of some kind.  
  
After a few more hours of enduring the sweltering heat of the jungle and the relatively fast pace of the leaders, Anglarana finally called a halt. The place they stopped at didn't look any different from the rest of the scenery they had been traveling through for most of the day. Everyone immediately sat down in the nearest place they could find, enjoying the brief rest. Jyserriec stood off to the side indifferently staring around him not showing any signs of fatigue. The Ronins had greatly protested his joining of their band, but with Kayura and Mia's reassurance, they caved in and allowed it (although they weren't happy with it) with the demand that Anglarana monitor him at all times.  
  
"We are now essentially in the area in which the Tsorin are buried. But the energy is so strong that I cannot identify exactly where. From here on we must split up into groups and search the area. The spell was preformed in the middle of a city, so perhaps its ruins still remain. Even if the city is no longer there, your armors should react to the energy expelled by my people."  
  
Everyone wearily nodded and stood. They all broke up into four groups and dispersed into different directions. Anglarana, Jyserriec, and Sage headed northeast; Kento, Cye, and Rowen went north; Cale, Sekhmet, Dais, and Kayura proceeded to the northwest; and Mia, Ryo, Whiteblaze, and Anubis left for the west.  
  
Ryo ended up walking in front to fight a path through the random plants. Mia followed placidly and Anubis acted as rear guard. The search was painfully random; all they could do was wander around in the general direction of 'west'. Ryo was getting a little more than frustrated after about an hour of hacking through the opposing jungle and the millions of blood sucking insects swarming around him didn't help either. As Ryo forged ahead, his swearing got louder the longer they went, Mia stopped. Anubis stopped as well and cocked his head at her questioningly.  
  
"Oh, I just need a rest. Besides, I think Ryo needs a break," she said with a wry smile. She placed a hand on her chest, but decided against telling anyone that the jewel was the culprit for her exhaustion. Anubis chuckled softly and started forward to inform Ryo, who was too caught up in his aggravation to notice their stop. However, he only took a few steps when Mia cried out in pain. Anubis turned in time to see her collapse with beams of bright pink light shining through her shirt. Anubis ran over to her and lifted her into his arms.  
  
"Mia?" Then the light intensified and thrust all of its light and energy into the ground surrounding them. The earth underneath them broke up and the pair helplessly dropped into the newly formed hole. Anubis and Mia fell for what seemed like forever, then there was blackness.  
  
*****  
  
With a groan, Anubis opened his eyes. It was pitch dark all around him and the stale air had the distinct scent of moist earth. He quickly pulled himself into a sitting position and blindly began feeling around for Mia.  
  
"Mia?" he called softly and prayed that she was still there. He was rewarded with silence; but a soft, pulsing, pink light began to glow to his right. He crawled over to it and the light revealed an unconscious Mia. He lay a gentle hand on her cheek, then checked her pulse. After assuring himself that her heart was still beating and there were no major wounds, he picked her up and looked around the cavern in which they had fallen into.  
  
The light from the Jewel of Life was enough to illuminate a wide area around them. They were essentially in a giant hole with a large variety of roots hugging the sides of the cavern. The walls rose a good couple of hundred feet into the air, but the gap that had allowed them to fall in there had closed up. Anubis briefly flirted with the idea of climbing the roots to the surface, but Mia looked to be in no shape for such activity. He was really worried about her; such a fall would have normally killed a person. His armor had protected him, but Mia had no such safeguard.  
  
He sighed and stared into her face, fervently hoping that she would soon wake up or show any signs of life. She was so bonelessly silent, he couldn't even hear her breathing in the echoing cavern. As he surveyed the walls, he noticed a tunnel in the wall to his immediate left. With no other viable escape routes available, Anubis decided to follow the tunnel for better or for worse.  
  
The tunnel extended for over a mile and a half before it opened up into an enormous area in which he could not see any of the walls or the ceiling. Mia groaned and began to shift in his arms. With a relieved sound Anubis looked expectantly into her face. She opened her soft, blue-green eyes and for a moment panic crossed her features as she tried to figure out where she was.  
  
"It's all right, you're with me," he said with a reassuring smile. Mia's eyes slowly focused on him, then she returned his smile with a relieved smile of her own. She winced as she turned her head to look about her. She tentatively placed a hand on the back of her head and took a sharp intake of air as her fingers made contact with a sizable lump. Anubis frowned then kneeled so he could use his hands to examine the injury.  
  
"No, it's okay," Mia said in a faint voice, but Anubis ignored her protests and gently reached around her to part her hair. He frowned again as he saw it. It looked as though she had received a concussion.  
  
"How do you feel?" he asked while carefully touching the bump to determine exactly how bad it was. Mia gritted her teeth against the pain and managed to answer without a quiver in her voice.  
  
"It hurts a little, but I think I'm fine." Anubis stared into her eyes wondering if she was sincere about the pain level, but he decided to let her do as she wished noticing a stubborn glint in her eye. After all, he would be there to watch her in case the lump proved to be more trouble than she thought it would. "Where are we?" she asked as she wavered to her feet.  
  
"I'm not sure." Anubis replied. Mia slowly unbuttoned her blouse until the Jewel was exposed, then closed her eyes in concentration. The Jewel flared to life brightly, bringing light to the entire cavern around them. Anubis smiled faintly. "I see you are learning to master the Jewel of Life." Mia nodded grimly. "It's more like the Jewel is teaching me."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It's weird; it's like something in the back of my mind whispers that I can do something when a certain task is needed. Like when Anglarana was fighting, I just knew that I could trap Crynis in a bubble of energy, and I just knew that I could give her energy. It sometimes seems as though the Jewel has a life of its own."  
  
"Yes, there are many legends about the Jewel of Life. Some say that when so much power exists in one place, that it can take on a personality of its own with its own thoughts and purposes." Mia bit her lip worriedly. "Do you think it's dangerous for me to have it?" Anubis stared at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Has it ever made you do anything?"  
  
"No, it just tells me what can be done."  
  
"What do you have to do to initiate action from the jewel?"  
  
"I don't know; want it, I guess. When I want it to happen, it happens, and I seem to be able to maintain control of starting and stopping it."  
  
"I think that the jewel is harmless to you; it needs you to initiate its power and to direct it as well. The fact that you're a part of it gives you the control that no one else has ever really had. It may be more of a blessing than you think." Mia sighed ruefully but nodded. Anubis, now that Mia seemed to be alright, turned his attention to the enormous cave that they were now in. It was filled with the ruins of massive buildings and statues. It looked as though the room had housed an entire city. The ruins were coated with ash and a black film that suggested that the city had met its end due to fire. As he surveyed the area, he gasped as the memories of his dream snapped in front of his mind's eye.  
  
"What is it?" Mia asked, seeing the shock on his face.  
  
"It's the city! I've seen this place before!" His vision blurred, and it felt like the ground beneath him lurched. When his sight finally cleared, the city had changed. The buildings where whole again, but were on fire. Violent winds raked against the landscape makings; the trees bend fully to the ground (the landscape had changed to above ground); and helpless people and animals were blown about like so many leaves.  
  
Suddenly Anubis' perspective changed and he found himself on a roof top a few yards from Crynis who was the cause of such senseless destruction. Near him was a large, silver cage holding five people wearing the robes of monks. A man with white hair stood in the front clasping two of the bars, but his face seemed vague, as though his thoughts had strayed. When his eyes regained focus, he turned them to the snarling beast and smiled triumphantly. Crynis's eyes widened with he saw the smile and, perhaps it was just the heat rising from the inferno before him, he shuddered.  
  
A bright light burst across the city setting the earth and sky to rest. The flames flickered out in awe to the forthcoming power. Crynis growled in rage and turned to the sound of hoof beats delicately coming down the central road. Shill equine calls of battle resounded across the tattered city; but the white haired man in the cage only continued his smile of triumph. The number had greatly increased since his last vision; now there were too many to be counted. The tide of unicorns paused before the building which held Crynis, one of the shining creatures turned her head and communed with the man in white. He reached out his hand and whispered a few words to the wind. A brightly glowing staff appeared in his hand. He rapped it against the cage and the bars disappeared. The captives quickly scrambled away from their prison, but only to be met by the towering form of the fanged menace. He swiped at the monks with his lethal talons, now red from blood. The leading unicorn screamed her challenge and sent a holy beam of light to strike the foul beast. Crynis leapt to the ground before her and snatched at her tender throat. She swiped her horn at his talons catching them in a dead lock. The tide of unicorns pooled around the combating duo with a single cry on their lips.  
  
"One choice, one choice..." The air crackled around them and the earth shook with the vengeance of ages. The monks assembled around the Ancient One and took hold of his staff. They chanted in a strange language and the staff began to ring violently. A fierce yellow beam of light shot from the staff into the center of the melee. Unheeding of the numerous wounds Crynis inflicted, the unicorns mobbed around him. As their horns flared to life with silver-green light, they too began to chant in a language that no mortal could ever learn. Their light mixed with the light of the staff creating such an intensity that the light became all consuming and nothing else was visible. When the light faded and disappeared, Crynis and three fourths of the unicorns (all those closest to him) were gone. The remaining unicorns, along with the monks, lay crumpled on the ground. The ancient city was lost in flames as the voices of those who remained were raised to the starry sky in mourning and relief.  
  
*****  
  
"Anubis?" Mia called again, this time shaking his shoulders. His eyes were distant and unfocused, but his face held and expression of horror and amazement. He had stood this way for several minutes; his frame slightly leaning forward as if he were straining to see something. "Anubis!" She shook harder. Anubis then blinked a couple of times and looked about himself in a disoriented manner. "Anubis, are you okay?" Mia's eyes were filled with worry. Anubis smiled at her as he placed his hands over hers.  
  
"I am fine. I think we have inadvertently found Anglarana's city." Mia looked about herself curiously. "Are you sure?" Anubis nodded. "What happened to you just then?"  
  
"I had a vision. I saw the past of this city. I saw the great battle between the Tsorin and Crynis." Mia smiled wryly. "Great, we found the city. But now we're lost." Anubis smiled faintly, "I think we'll be able to call the others' attention." His eyes rested on the Jewel, which still shone brightly. Its intense light wasn't painful to look at. Mia self-consciously placed a hand over it and the light dimmed. A pained expression crossed her features.  
  
Anubis wrapped his hand around hers. "Does the Jewel still hurt you?"  
  
"No... not really, anymore. It's just so strange; it sometimes seems as though there's another life in me with thoughts of its own." Anubis's smile deepened as he pulled her hand away from her chest. "You do. The Jewel of Life is called thus for a reason. Such powerful magic must have a mind of its own, or else just anyone could take it and abuse its power. It chose you, just as it chose you when we first found it under the lake. And now it attempts to guide you; it is learning to hate what you hate and love what you love." He paused. "But you do not feel as though it is controlling you?"  
  
"I don't know anymore," she replied with a sigh. Anubis kissed her on the forehead. "It only takes time; just remember that all of us wish only the best for you and will always be here for you, no matter what the problem." He placed his hands on her shoulders and added with a laugh, "All of us ronins felt that way when we first learned of our powers. It can be overwhelming, but you won't be expected to save the world every day." Mia laughed wearily. "It's already starting to feel as though I will." She hugged Anubis fiercely and then immediately walked away into the city before he could react. He stood looking after her in stunned silence, then smiled to himself and followed. Her strength and bravery put them all to shame.  
  
*****  
  
Ryo, feeling the earthquake and hearing Mia's cry, spun around and tried to run to them. He turned just in time to see the earth swallow up Mia and Anubis.  
  
"NO!" After the duo fell through the hole, the ground closed up. Ryo ran over to the area and dug at the ground. The earth remained as sturdy and firm as if nothing had happened. "Mia! Anubis!" No answer. "White Blaze, go get the others; we've got problems here!" White Blaze growled his agreement and charged off into the foliage. Ryo thrust his sword into the ground and placed his hand on the dirt doing his best to reclaim calm and the patience to wait for his friends to arrive.  
  
Within moments, Anglarana was there followed by Jyserriec. Her eyes immediately went to the spot in which Mia and Anubis had fallen. Jyserriec raised his eyebrows at her in some kind of unsaid 'told you so.' She shook her head wearily and stood in the middle of the freshly turned dirt.  
  
"Are you sure this is the best option?" he remarked while joining her.  
  
"No choice; the time is rapidly approaching. She can't face this one on her own."  
  
"What are you guys talking about?!" Ryo was getting really annoyed. Anglarana glanced at him, then exchanged a meaningful glance with Jyserriec. Jyserriec nodded in turn and raised a hand in Ryo's direction. He whispered a few words and a gray light began to swirl around Ryo. Ryo tried to escape it, but the light followed him and the effects overwhelmed him immediately. Once Ryo had lost consciousness, the duo concentrated their power. A silver green light surrounded them; Anglarana spared a sad glance at Ryo's still form. Jyserriec placed a hand on her shoulder.  
  
"It's for the best. He's too innocent for this; you know what the effects of this knowledge could do to him." Anglarana nodded. "Great spirit of Mother Earth, let us pass through your skin to assist the young ones within you. The time of awakening has come." Their light intensified and their forms became transparent. They slipped through the surface without disturbing a single leaf.  
  
*****  
  
The city lay before them, the decimated streets offered no hospitality. Death echoed in the walls of the buildings like a child's laughter. Anubis found his way through the winding streets as confidently as though he had lived there all his life. He stopped in the very center of the city, which was marked by a giant tree that was easily two hundred feet tall. There was a diameter of at least a hundred feet surrounding the tree composed of freshly turned dirt. Irises and ferns of all colors speckled the earth surrounding the tree. Stray beams of sunlight showered down on the tree; the top of the tree had broken through the ceiling of the cave to reach the nourishing sun. It was beyond Mia how such a glorious tree could have grown down here without the benefit of sunlight.  
  
Seeing Mia's confusion, Anubis commented, "This is where the Tsorin are buried; their life force is what sustains such a tree." Mia nodded, awed by the towering beauty. "Now what?" she remarked at a total loss on how to awaken them. Anglarana had never shared with them what she had planned to do once the site was found.  
  
"Why, we wake my people, of course," came a musical voice behind them. Anubis and Mia turned to see Anglarana and Jyserriec languidly leaning against one of the buildings. "But how... what...?" Anglarana held up a hand. "I felt the power of the Jewel of Life. We followed its essence here."  
  
"What must we do to awaken them?" Anubis asked. Anglarana turned to Jyserriec. "First, you must undo your spell." Jyserriec remained motionless staring thoughtfully into her eyes. Mia edged closer to Anubis. What if this was a trap? What if he had been leading them on all along? He had all too readily joined Anglarana.  
  
Anubis smiled softly at her. "He will do us no harm; Anglarana cannot be deceived," he whispered.  
  
'You know what will happen when you awaken them, don't you?' Jyserriec's mind spoke to her. Anglarana's eyes saddened as she nodded. 'It is not worth your life; let them help. The Jewel will protect you.' He persisted.  
  
'No. I will live, but their minds will be scorched. No human can ever again be truly happy after linking spirits with the Tsorin. It is too painful for their frail mortal minds.'  
  
'Ask them, or I will not take back my spell.' His tone became forceful and cross.  
  
'Jyserriec! That is not fair of you!'  
  
'I will not lose you to such a meaningless death. Ask.'  
  
'Then I shall have to forever maintain that link which I forge,' she replied with a determined jut of her chin.  
  
'That is foolish! You shall then forever be slave to her whim. You could jeopardize us all.'  
  
'I cannot torture her spirit by making such a bond and breaking it! I either do this myself or the bond is eternal.' Jyserriec scowled. 'Then I shall lose you forever no matter what.'  
  
'So now I am yours? You didn't seem to mind too much leaving me to go hide in that castle of yours to wallow in your own self-pity and bitterness.' Jyserriec took a step back. Those words were harsh; harsh but true. 'If the spell is successful, then the world will again be filled with Tsorin. I am not needed past this action.' Jyserriec remained silent, there was nothing he could say to talk her out of this. Anglarana strode away from him and marched up to the tree. She let the human form slip away from her donning her beautiful equine shape with her liquid silver mane and tail flowing about her. She dropped her head until the tip of her horn pierced the rich earth at the base of the tree. 'I'll do it without you if I have to,' she threatened, seeing that Jyserriec had not moved.  
  
'You can't do it without me,' he retorted, but moved to her side. He paused; he couldn't return to his true shape; he was too sullied with negative emotions. He refused to bring shame to his people's name. A half- formed star shape appeared on his forehead.  
  
"No need for such dramatics," a familiar, raspy voice commented.  
  
Anglarana thrust her head up and looked back. Crynis stood grinning triumphantly; a limp Mia was flung over his shoulder and Anubis lay at his feet unconscious. Anglarana had been so caught up in their inner fight that she hadn't even noticed his presence. "Stupid mules," he murmured with a smug grin. Jyserriec flung out rays of gray light without missing a beat. Crynis dodged them then held out a chunk of gold. An orange aura surrounded the gold, then the ground about Jyserriec and Anglarana's feet rippled, becoming almost liquid in substance.  
  
"Quicksand!" Jyserriec yelled, but it was too late. The ground had firmly pulled their feet in. Anglarana's horn glowed as she plunged it into the quicksand. Jyserriec continued to shoot at Crynis, but his uncertain footing made his aim less than accurate. By the time they were free of the trap, Crynis had flown away through one of the many tunnels. Anglarana galloped into the tunnel she had seen Crynis exit through.  
  
"Come on!" she called back urgently. Jyserriec ran after her with an easy, flowing stride. What had he unleashed in his bitter anger? When he looked back, he realized that he had never really wanted the whole human species to die. He had just wanted them to suffer like he had, perhaps that was why he never fully acted on his threats. He clenched his hands into fists until his fingernails dug into his flesh. It would have been better for everyone if his beauteous betrayer had destroyed him.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
Ah, 'tis the beginning of the end, and so much has been left unsaid. Crynis has Mia, meaning the end of humans is nigh. Can the Ronin Warriors reach her in time? Stay tuned and read chapter twelve to find out!  
  
Lady Eclipse  
  
"She hides so much light within the shadows of her eyes." 


	12. Chapter 12

Battle of the Elements  
  
By Lady Eclipse  
  
Chapter Twelve  
  
Sage reached Ryo moments after Jyserriec and Anglarana had slipped down into the earth. Seeing his unconscious friend, Sage ran to Ryo and immediately checked his pulse. Once assured that Ryo had a healthy heartbeat, Sage looked over his body but could find no wounds. "Ryo! Hey, Ryo!" he called shaking his shoulders. Ryo's eyelids fluttered before slowly opening. "Wha...?" he began, feeling greatly disoriented.  
  
"Are you okay? What happened? Where's Mia and Anubis?" Then his face became very stern. "Did Jyserriec do this to you?" Ryo sat up, feeling very groggy. "Huh? I don't know what happened. One minute Anubis and Mia are falling into a giant hole in the ground then Jyserriec and Anglarana show up. Then I all of a sudden fall asleep!"  
  
"Hmmm..." Sage walked over to the area where there was a large diameter of freshly turned earth. "We saw the energy of the Jewel of Life. Anglarana and Jyserriec just started running to it at a breakneck speed. There was no way I could keep up with them. Perhaps this is where the city is."  
  
"Do you think that they went after Anubis and Mia?" Ryo asked, standing up.  
  
Sage nodded, "I'd say so. Unfortunately, I don't think we can follow. The dirt is hard-packed, we'd be digging for hours. The best course of action would be to gather everyone together and wait for Anglarana to return." Ryo glanced into the thick vegetation; this would take a while.  
  
*****  
  
Anglarana galloped through the tunnel following the sound of leather wings beating. She tried to reach Mia mentally, but it was as though her mind were blocked. Then, all of a sudden, the sounds stopped. Her horn started glowing as she concentrated; but there wasn't any trace of them. She gave up her search just as Jyserriec reached her. Seeing her desolate expression, he gently rubbed her nose and smiled. "You know where he is headed, take comfort in that. The ceremony takes time to organize and perform, so let us make haste to round up the others and go to the sacred grounds. That is all that we can do at this point." Anglarana nodded her head wearily and began to trot back to the ruined city to reclaim the unconscious Anubis. I failed! she thought to herself bitterly. How could I be so foolish as to not sense Crynis's presence? Why wasn't I paying attention?! She snorted angrily and tried to push the negative thoughts aside.  
  
Anubis was conscious again by the time they had reached him. 'What happened?' Anglarana asked anxiously. Anubis frowned slightly.  
  
"I'm not sure; as we watched you and Jyserriec commune, I began to feel weak and disorientated. I turned and saw Crynis approaching us; that is the last thing that I remember." Jyserriec stepped forward. "We must make haste to a place deep in the heart of this forest. There exists an ancient structure of power. Crynis intends to take Mia there to steal the Jewel of Life from her and coerce it to his will." Anubis nodded solemnly, a trace of anger gleaming in his eye.  
  
'Let's go,' Anglarana said as her horn began to glow brightly. Jyserriec closed his eyes, pooling his own power. Anubis felt as though he were floating and when he looked down he realized that they were rising up into the air and they passed through the ceiling of the cavern as though it didn't exist. When they were once again standing on the solid, dark ground of the forest, Anglarana turned to Anubis. 'Get onto my back, we are in need of great speed.'  
  
Anubis stared at her dubiously. It was unthinkable to him that he should even touch such a pure creature, let alone do anything so degrading as to ride her. Any physical contact would undoubtedly put her at risk, at any rate. Jyserriec, seeing Anubis's moral conflict, laughed lightly. "Go ahead, I can protect her while she is vulnerable." He paused and smiled at Anglarana stamping her fore hoof impatiently. "Besides, I do not think you would like to oppose her when she is in that state." Anglarana narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head ruefully. Anubis wearily walked up to her and placed his hands on her back. He closed his eyes and with one fluid movement, he flung himself on her back. Anglarana turned toward Jyserriec. 'Do you ride or run?'  
  
"I run, my lady," he said with a sweeping bow.  
  
'Ready?' she called back to Anubis. Anubis nodded as he entwined his fingers through her silky, silver mane. With a heave from her hindquarters, Anglarana bounded off into the depths of the surrounding trees with a speed and agility that astounded Anubis. Jyserriec ran alongside them with an elastic stride that matched hers perfectly.  
  
*****  
  
Kento, Cye, and Rowen had been slashing their way through the woods for what seemed like hours and they had found nothing. Rowen paused and dragged an arm across his forehead. "Man, I think we've been here before," he said, looking around at the surrounding area.  
  
"Yeah, I know, but we've been going in a straight line, I've made sure by checking the sun position," Kento said with a sigh. "What do you think, Cye? ...Cye... Cye!" They both turned to the unresponsive Cye. He was standing with his head tilted slightly as though he was listening to something.  
  
"What do you hear?" Rowen asked, touching Cye lightly on the shoulder.  
  
"Hmm? ...Oh, did you notice that the forest all of a sudden got very quiet?"  
  
Kento and Rowen exchanged surprised expressions; Cye was right, it was completely quiet. They all got into defensive stances and stared into the deep foliage searching for any sign of danger. Kayura, Cale, Sekhmet, and Dais emerged from the trees to their right and looked just as surprised to see Rowen, Kento, and Cye as they were to see them.  
  
"Ronins... I thought you were supposed to be searching in the northwest," Cale remarked.  
  
"We thought we were," replied a perplexed Rowen as he glanced up again at the position of the sun.  
  
"Perhaps I can answer that question for you," a soft, musical voice called out behind them. They all abruptly spun around to see a pubescent boy standing not twenty paces away from them. He was clothed in simple, homespun clothing and had a beautiful star-shaped mark on his forehead; he was accompanied by a young woman with a deep tan. Kayura's staff began to chime quietly.  
  
"You're... you're a..." Cye stammered. The boy smiled to himself. "Then you have met one of my kindred. Might I know which one?"  
  
"Anglarana and Jyserriec," Kayura replied, bowing to the young unicorn. His face lit up with excitement. The woman with ebony hair standing at his left had an infinitely sad expression settled on her features and remarked: "Ah yes, their tragic tale is a legend to the young ones like myself." Empathy settled on Kento's features as he thought on why Anglarana's past with Jyserriec would be tragic. I thought so; it's so obvious on their faces when they think no one is watching, he thought to himself.  
  
"Lady Anglarana summoned us here proclaiming that the demon Crynis has awakened. Is this so?"  
  
"Yes, but you said 'we'; are there more of you here?" Dais asked, glancing about the ring of trees.  
  
"Why, yes, all that remain have come to answer her plea." With that, many people of different coloring and physical attributes emerged from the forest, forming a circle around the armor bearers. Kayura breath caught in her throat as she felt enormous waves of powerful, positive energy engulf her. She had to banish her staff for it was ringing so loudly with the presence of them.  
  
"Tell us, do you know where the Lady Anglarana is?" one woman asked.  
  
"We all split up to look for the ancient city where the rest of your people are buried," Rowen replied; he could feel his forehead tingling, as though his kanji were flaring. The crowd starting murmuring amongst themselves at that, sounding like waves crashing against the shore.  
  
"I see now why she called us, despite having such powers as the armors to call upon," the boy remarked thoughtfully. "She means to destroy the beast." He closed his eyes and his mark flared. Two women who were standing near him each placed a hand on his shoulder, their marks glowing brightly as well, lending him their strength. "Crynis is there," he said, pointing north. "Once your friends arrive, we need to go there and face Crynis."  
  
"Friends... wait, do you mean you brought us all here?" Sekhmet asked incredulously.  
  
"We are sorry for the mysteriousness of our methods, but time is of the essence; Crynis has the Jewel of Life," the woman on the boy's left said.  
  
"What? He's got Mia?" Ryo cried, coming up to join the Ronin troop, followed by Sage.  
  
"Mia?" The boy tilted his head questioningly.  
  
"Yeah, she's got the Jewel of Life embedded in her chest," Sage replied.  
  
Once again the tide of murmuring rose filled with eager anticipation and wonder. "I see then, the jewel has finally found its other half and has bonded. This is excellent news, the world has hope yet!" he exclaimed with triumph.  
  
"I fail to see how this is good news, that monster is gonna kill Mia!" Cye said with his eyebrows raised in shocked confusion.  
  
"It is good in the sense that Crynis will not be able to obtain the powers of the jewel until he performs a very difficult and costly ceremony. This will buy us the time we need to reach him. If the jewel had been alone as it was before, then he would already be in possession of its powers and the world would have already been lost."  
  
"Well, then let's stop wasting time talking we've got to hurry before that creep does anything to her!" Ryo said urgently.  
  
"We were just waitin' on you, buddy," Rowen replied with a grin.  
  
"Let's go make Crynis regret ever hearing the name Ronin Warriors!" The boy chuckled and turned. "To the Sacred Grounds of Creation." With that all of the unicorns reverted back into their original shapes. The boy, now a juvenile, called to the humans, sensing their uncertainty, 'It will be faster if you ride.' Nine unicorns separated themselves from the crowd and moved over to the nervous humans. After an obvious moment of hesitation, each mounted and settled themselves as best they could. As one, the unicorns leapt forward in a massive, yet oddly silent, surge and speed away to their uncertain fates.  
  
*****  
  
Crynis held out the piece of gold once he had reached the ancient grounds. The earth rose up in the middle of the clearing forming an altar. Crynis grinned to himself triumphantly, "Let the mules come, and the foolish mortals as well! There is nothing they can do now." He then lay his burden upon the altar and ripped open her shirt to reveal the now dull Jewel of Life. He moved his taloned hand over it. "Soon you will be mine." The jewel flared briefly in defiance, then settled to a sullen glow as warning that as long as it was in Mia's body, he could not touch it. A fact that he would alter shortly. Crynis then went to his collection of precious gems and stones. He selected the amber and held it out to the surrounding vegetation. All of the trees and plants thickened visibly, twining together to make any kind of non- flight entrance an impossibility. He then selected the diamond shard and held it up to the sun, casting rainbows in every direction. The air around them shimmered, and to the outside world the clearing with the timeless marble statues looked like just another section of moss-covered forest.  
  
Once his concealment was completed, Crynis discarded the gems and began preparations for the ceremony that would rip the Jewel of Life from its bearer. Crynis raised both of his grotesque arms into the air, murmuring words as ancient as the ground he stood upon. All of his laboriously collected gems rose from the ground and attached themselves in equal proportion to the four statues and the alter.  
  
"Energy of the elements! Lend me your wild and fierce power so that I might rid you of the parasitical humans that have plagued your beauty for so long. I call upon the armors of Talpa that tap and tame these mighty forces! Come to me now!" The gems began to glow fiercely, their rays shooting out into the sky. At that moment Mia awoke; something within in her was screaming for her to do something. "Huh? ...What's going on here? Where am I?" Her voice rose in panic as she saw Crynis and the blinding gems. ~Run, run!~ the inner voice cried desperately. Keeping a steady eye on Crynis, Mia slipped off the altar and ran to the edge of the clearing. The Jewel of Life glimmered brightly and the trees parted. Crynis, sensing the jewel's efforts, spun around and snarled. "What is this, human?" he spat. "Do you think you can really escape me? The jewel cannot save you now!" He thrust his hand toward her and the vines that encircled the nearby tree flew out and wrapped themselves around her tightly. Before she could even react, then sent her crashing into the altar, knocking the breath out of her. From there, the vines bound her fiercely to it and the altar itself formed shackles that closed upon her arms, feet, and waist. Finally, a thick, purple smoke poured out of the piece of silver and engulfed Mia. After a few moments of struggling, unconsciousness claimed her. Once sure that she was thoroughly contained, Crynis returned to his spell.  
  
*****  
  
'There!' Anglarana said, pulling to a stop in front of a particularly tangled section of forest. Anubis leaned forward, straining to see into the dense depths. "I see nothing," he remarked.  
  
"That is because Crynis is doing everything in his power to conceal himself to obtain enough time to perform the ceremony," Jyserriec replied.  
  
"Ceremony? What ceremony? Why is he so preoccupied with the Jewel of Life?"  
  
'As you have discovered, the Jewel of Life is very strong. It is strong enough to defeat all of you and even a mass of my people. Crynis intends to use this force to destroy all of us and reclaim his role as ruler of this world. However, he cannot use the jewel or even touch it when it is in the hands of another. Mia's bond with the Jewel of Life makes it hers to command. Crynis will have to kill her and use all of the powers of the elements to break that bond.'  
  
"Perhaps it is not so wise that the Ronins join this battle," Jyserriec commented as he strolled over to where the vegetation was so thick that only the smallest of creatures could squeeze through. "These trees will not respond to us; they are being magically coerced." He placed a hand on one of the trees, a silver light faintly glowed on his forehead. "You know as well as I that Crynis's powers only deal in the destructive forces of nature. He did this with some outside aid." Anglarana gave the equine equivalent of a a frown. 'Then what is he using that can give him such control over the elements?'  
  
"Access to those who draw power from the elements. The bearers of Talpa's armor."  
  
"How do you know this?" Anubis asked, dismounting while narrowing his eyes.  
  
"I know this because I started to do the same. Over the years I accidentally came across a way to tap into the armors and thus be able to control the elements that they represented. I found that by collecting a precious stone from where each armor has lain combined with negatively energizing it will give the holder of the stone powers over the armor's element. I had acquired over a quarter of them by the time I had reanimated Crynis."  
  
'Oh, Jyserriec, do you realize what you've done?' Anglarana's mental voice dipped into a whisper.  
  
"I do," he replied in an emotionless voice.  
  
"Is there a way to counter the effects of the spell?" Anubis asked, his irritation evident in his tone.  
  
"Yes, there are several ways; but each one requires time and possession of the stones. In the meantime, you mustn't use your armor's special attack on him," Jyserriec replied, staring steadily back at Anubis.  
  
"How can we fight him without the power of our armors?"  
  
'You have your weapons, the physical attacks, and our powers,' Anglarana murmured, touching her delicate nose to his shoulder.  
  
'You shall not be alone either,' a youthful voice called out. With a delighted whinny, Anglarana did a few dancing steps in the direction of the call. A juvenile bay unicorn burst out of the trees. 'Kaleis, you came!'  
  
'How could I ignore the call of my big sister?' he said playfully, briefly rubbing noses with her. 'I do not come alone, though. You have many allies!' he said triumphantly. Indeed, already the other unicorns were spilling out of the tree line including the ones carrying the other Ronins. The warriors dismounted and joined with Anubis. 'Jyserriec, why are you here?' Kaleis continued in an icy tone, looking over his sister's shoulder. Jyserriec refused to meet his, or any of the others's eyes and refrained from saying anything.  
  
'Kaleis, please. He is here to help us destroy the demon. Let not your memory focus only on the discrepancies of a soul; no one is without inner evils,' Anglarana admonished; not only to him, but to all that sent him accusing glances. Although the older ones, who had known Jyserriec before his tragic betrayal and those who knew the stories of old, held deep sympathy and understanding in their eyes. Anglarana trotted over to the Ronins. 'My friends, how glad I am to see you here. Crynis awaits us there,' she said, gesturing with her head. 'We approach the final battle; it is here that the fate of this world will be decided. Crynis is now in possession of stones that can control your armors' different elements, so you will be without your special attacks. It is understandable if you wish to stand aside, for this battle will be beyond anything you have ever fought before.'  
  
"No way! I'm not backing down! Not with Mia at that monster's disposal and NOT with our world on the line! You can count me in!" Kento cried, stepping forward, his crystal held tightly within his hand.  
  
"That goes for the rest of us. We won't just stand by while someone else fights for us," Ryo added while the others nodded their agreement. Anglarana's eyes shone with pride. 'Then together!' She turned to face her kin. 'Come, let us break Crynis' cowardly attempts to hide himself! Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' she cried in her native tongue. The others took up her cry and chanted it as they mobbed about the tightly packed vegetation. 'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre! Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre...!'  
  
'At risk of death, for life we fight,' Anglarana translated, turning her head briefly towards the Ronins. 'Transform into your armors now, for we are about to break the barrier.' The Ronins, and the former Warlords, silently transformed and unsheathed their weapons. Kayura pulled out her staff and gathered her energy.  
  
'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' The cry continued as all of the unicorns's horns started to glow with a glorious light. 'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!' The light engulfed the plants, pulling them apart. 'Kylisi arre iriales occyalc menairre!'  
  
When the light faded they found themselves staring into a wide clearing with a circle of ancient, marble statues each of them had precious stones embedded into them. In the center was a large, stone alter. On the alter, bound with stone and vine, lay Mia. The Jewel of Life shining with a desperate light, screaming for assistance.  
  
Anglarana was the first into the clearing. 'But where is Crynis?' she thought to herself, looking around nervously.  
  
*****  
  
As the Ronins and Jyserriec filtered into the ancient place of power, Anglarana instantly went for Mia. "Wait!" Dais cried, his eyes fixed on the statue to their immediate right. The diamond in the statue was glowing faintly. "It is Crynis, he is there!" The air next to the statue shimmered revealing Crynis, grotesquely grinning; his finger length fangs gleaming. Instantly the trees snapped shut, returning the clearing to seclusion and leaving the other unicorns outside. Anglarana ignored him and had already reached the altar and was working on freeing Mia from her constraints. Crynis sneered at her and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. An enormous gale of wind slammed into Anglarana; her knees buckled, but she kept her ground. Her horn glowed forcefully, the color was pink tinted. She had managed to cut through the vines and was working at the stone. Crynis raised his hand again but was interrupted by a two katanas diving toward him. Crynis leapt back and laughed. "Ah, so the children want to play." He raised his hands to the sky and the earth began to shake violently. There was a sudden flash of green tinted silver light and the earth was still. "What...?" Crynis and everyone else turned to see Jyserriec running toward him with his hand engulfed with light, ready to send another shot. "Stupid mule! Your impertinence will be your destroyer!" He aimed his taloned hand and charged to greet Jyserriec head on. Two arrows planted themselves in his back, causing Crynis to howl with pain. He, however, continued forward intent on his quarry. At the last moment Jyserriec sent another blast of light at Crynis, then leapt lightly to his right. Sage then burst forward in his place with his sword raised defiantly. Crynis growled low in his throat, "Thunder and Lightning!" A terrible crashing sound echoed throughout the forest and bolts of lightning poured from the sky, randomly striking the inhabitants of the clearing.  
  
Anglarana ignored the tumult, concentrating only on freeing Mia. The last manacle of stone broke beneath her horn and Anglarana swiftly touched her horn to Mia to free her of the effects of the sleep Crynis had lain on her. Mia's eyelids fluttered. "Huh... NO!" she cried, coming fully to herself and the memories of the past few hours rushed to greet her.  
  
'Come, Mia, you must flee! Crynis seeks your death.' Mia briefly glanced about the battle before nodding and sliding off the altar. While the Ronins were busy dodging the lethal shots of electricity and Jyserriec was attempting to stop the disturbances, Crynis pulled the arrows out of his back raised his gleaming talons to point at Anglarana. He charged immediately his lips pulled back in a fearsome grin. Anglarana whinnied shrilly and turned to face him, horn poised. Mia paused, uncertain, ready to help her in any way she could. 'No, go on without me, Mia! The world's safety depends on your life; escape and we shall deal with this foul demon!' Mia bit her lip with frustration, but she realized that Anglarana was right. She dashed over to where the clearing met a solid wall of trees and touched a hand to one of them, asking the Jewel of Life for assistance in her escape. On the other side of the barricade she could faintly hear the chanting of the Tsorin growing louder and louder. The trees were lined with a silver-green light.  
  
Crynis' talons met Anglarana's horn with a loud grating sound accompanied by sparks. His extensive, leathery wings slapped her exposed sides and he kicked fiercely at her legs. Then, with one superior snicker, he murmured some words over his shoulder and the shard of gold began to glow. The ground underneath Anglarana became quicksand; swiftly trapping her feet and eagerly worked to pull the rest of her in.  
  
"Anglarana!" Jyserriec cried out, rushing to aid her. Crynis chuckled and made a sweeping gesture with his hand. A fierce wind picked up catching Jyserriec as if he were nothing but a leaf and slammed him in the foliage. He fell hard to the ground; the air knocked out of him. Arrows in rapid succession planted themselves in his back. With another howl of rage Crynis spun around only to have to dodge the trident that swiped at his mid- section. Crynis leapt back only to have to dodge a roundhouse kick accompanied by a lethal swing of an iron bo. Crynis snarled and took to the sky. He screamed something into the air and all of the stones glowed with a blinding intensity. All of the other armors began to glow in unison with the stones. The bearers fell to their knees as an unbearable wave of pure agony overcame them. Crynis held up his fist and made a slow squeezing motion. This made the Ronins fall to the floor writhing, it felt as though their armors were about to crush them. Jyserriec rose to his feet and glared at Crynis. "I regret the day I was ever so foolish to release you! But I shall make amends for my thoughtless and selfish deeds! I shall annihilate you even if it means my own life! You shall die for your evil!" A bright silver-green star marking appeared on his forehead and it began to glow intensely until his whole body glowed with it. His form shifted and reformed into that of a white stallion with a golden mane and tail and a spiraled horn aiming for Crynis. Jyserriec reared, grumbling his rage deep in his throat. He leapt forward with his horn raised to Crynis, beams of energy spouting out fiercely in his direction.  
  
Kayura raised her staff, which was by now ringing violently; the bright yellow light of the staff joined Jyserriec's attack. Crynis laughed a dry, mocking laugh and made a throwing gesture. The vines entwining the trees directly behind the duo harpooned out with a whip like accuracy and swiftly wound themselves tightly around Jyserriec and Kayura. With great speed and strength they pulled their prey back to slam into the tree, all the while tying them to the tree itself. The impact with the tree caused Kayura to drop the staff and the vines and wrapped around Jyserriec's muzzle, making it very difficult for him to breathe.  
  
"Now..." he said, turning to face the shocked Mia, who had paused in her escape to watch with horror as he tortured her friends. Her face became set, even as tears streamed down her cheeks.  
  
"No." She turned away from the trees to face him, her resolve evident. "I will not stand for this!" The jewel came to life with an eager gleam. The trees parted a few inches.  
  
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'  
  
"I will never allow such an evil creature to exist on this beautiful planet!" The pink light engulfed her until she was nothing but a dark silhouette in the heart of it.  
  
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'  
  
Beams of light from the jewel struck each of the stones, destroying them. The Ronins were on their feet instantly.  
  
"QUAKE WITH FEAR!" Chains flew in every direction trapping Crynis; the intensely shinning pink light was making it hard for him to focus or to move with any speed.  
  
"WEB OF DESTRUCTION!" Webbing encircled him to further bind him.  
  
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'  
  
Once the pink light had touched the vines, they obediently slipped away from Jyserriec and Kayura and the ground solidified, freeing Anglarana. The vegetation around the clearing had returned to its normal state and the Tsorin formed a loose, wide ring around Crynis. Crynis was desperately working to free himself and was beginning to succeed.  
  
'He no longer has the stones to control your powers! Destroy him now, Ronins!' Jyserriec called as he raced to Anglarana's side within the circle.  
  
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'  
  
"Let's form the white armor, Ryo, and teach this guy a lesson!" Sage cried, glaring up at the squirming monstrosity. The energy of the Jewel of Life combined with energy of the Tsorin firmly held Crynis still.  
  
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'  
  
Dark blue, green, orange, and light blue shot out from their armors to join with the man in the red armor. Pulsating flames showered with cherry blossoms shot up around him and when they faded the Armor of Inferno gleamed in the sun. Whiteblaze leapt over Ryo's shoulder and as he did Ryo neatly pulled free the Fervor Soul Swords that were sheathed on the beast's armored sides.  
  
'Kylisi arre occalyc iriales menairre!'  
  
Mia stepped forward and placed a hand on Ryo's shoulder. He felt an enormous wave of pure energy and power course through his veins. "At risk of death, for life we fight!" she cried out triumphantly.  
  
"RADIANT INFERNO FLAMES!" As he called out his new attack, the pink light ran down his sword to combine with the Inferno's might, striking Crynis head on. Unlike their first meeting, this time Crynis was completely obliterated within the searing heat of Ryo's attack. Both Ryo and Mia collapsed, completely spent. Kento and Cye went over to assist their fallen leader while Sage and Rowen attended to Mia. Anglarana turned her head to look upon the transformed Jyserriec and smiled softly as best as her equine snout allowed her. 'Welcome back, my dearest friend,' she whispered and touched her soft nose to his. Jyserriec dipped his head, his shame evident. 'I cannot be a Tsorin anymore, I have become that which you have always fought to destroy. Take my life and end this travesty on the goodness of your name,' he replied.  
  
Anglarana turned her head to the others who stood watching them. 'How say you, my kinsmen?'  
  
'One is born a Tsorin; that very birthright cannot be taken away. Only forgotten,' one chestnut stallion called out from the back.  
  
'So say I,' another agreed.  
  
'And I!' others chorused.  
  
'Well, I trust Anglarana and she is legendary for her judgement,' Kaleis sniffed. 'Just so long as you repent your actions and work fervently to make up for the evil you caused,' Kaleis said, looking upon Jyserriec with a stern gaze.  
  
"Definitely give him another chance! He helped up destroy Crynis in the end," Kento added with the smile of one who will be just at any cost.  
  
'So be it,' Anglarana murmured. Jyserriec looked up at his fellow Tsorin and at Anglarana with wonder and gratitude in his eyes. 'I shall... and... thank you, my friends.' His soul was still filled with the pain and bitterness of betrayal, but somehow with the affectionate support of his kin and his dearest friend Anglarana, there was finally the hope of healing.  
  
"Forever I shall run with the free,  
  
Know the joy of the skies,  
  
And feel the limit of only my wildest  
  
dreams and untamed imagination."  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
*wipes her forehead* Phew! That was a long time in the making, but I finally did it! Don't worry, this isn't the end! I'll be writing an epilogue and there is the possibility of writing more adventures with my favorite mythological creatures, maybe even a few x-overs! Tell me what you think! nightcloud8@hotmail.com Give me a holler with your ideas and comments!  
  
Lady Eclipse 


	13. Epilogue

Battle of the Elements  
  
By Lady Eclipse  
  
Epilogue  
  
Nine men dressed in armor solemnly stood in a circle surrounding a tree that towered above them until it was lost in the shadows of the cavern. Yes, a giant tree of amazing beauty had flourished underground. Its leaves were thick and green and small purple flowers dotted its strong branches; branches that have never known wind nor rain.  
  
The men in armor stood facing away from the tree with their arms crossed over their chests. They murmured a single word; each one spoke a different one. A bright symbol appeared on each of their foreheads through their helmets, betraying that which they had said; each one glowing a different color. The armors began to glow as well and a beam of colored light exploded from each armor. The lines met, making the pattern of a prism that completely surrounded the tree.  
  
Three other figures step forward; in the middle was a woman with reddish-brown hair and eyes the color of stormy seas. The emerald green blouse she wore was unbuttoned just enough to reveal a glimmering stone set within her skin that hummed with ancient power. On her right a white mare gracefully advanced, her silky, silver mane and tail swirling majestically as she moved her delicate head. An ivory horn spiraled proudly from her forehead, set just above warm, brown eyes. To the maiden's left a proud stallion strode, his golden tresses flowing out behind him like a banner. His horn was glowing faintly with a light of its own.  
  
The trio walked not alone; there were others who stood silently behind them watching with great anticipation. A lone woman stood at the front, holding a staff with rings that chimed gently. The others behind her were hushed within the shadows of the large cavern, yet the silver green light of their horns provided just enough illumination for all to see the proceedings. The woman and two unicorns walked through the prism of energy that the men in armor have provided. It is with this energy that a miracle will be performed. The mare turned her head to gaze upon the stallion, her eyes bright with joy. 'No sacrifices.'  
  
'Yes; with the help of many, much may be accomplished,' he replied, quoting the old saying. The stallion marched forward ahead of the two, only stopping a modest foot away from the tree. He gravely lowered his head until the tip of his horn touched the rich earth. His horn shone with silver-green light. The fair woman turned slightly toward the mare and placed both of her hands on its soft cheeks. The mare's eyes grew soft and filled with compasion, she then lowered her head as well so that the very tip of her horn caressed the jewel that rested within the woman's chest. The jewel burst with a pink light that immediately drove itself into the ground around them. The earth began to quake with its power... or perhaps, with a different stirring of life.  
  
The whole cavern started to shake violently, yet the prism of light originating from the armors protected them and the others from the falling debris. The tree began to shine with a pure white light; the light spilled from the leaves piercing a hole into the rock which barred the tree's growth. Pebbles and boulders alike came crashing down, smashing into the invisible barriers that surrounded all of those present. With the stones came a thick layer of dust that temporarily blocked sight of the proceedings. Then the earth stilled and there was an eerie silence accompanying it. But the silence carried the tune of anticipation; something wonderful was about to happen.  
  
A soft gust of wind tentatively brushed through the area taking the dust with it. The walls and ceiling of the cavern were gone revealing a bright, blue sky hanging overhead. Then, with a massive heave, the earth before the broad tree split and a tide of bodies streamed out. They were of every color and shape imaginable. Some had the tails of lions, and some had tri-colored horns and looked more like antelope (A.N.- this is my way of explaining why there are so many different descriptions of what unicorns are supposed look like).  
  
The unicorns raced forward, parting only at the last moment around the fragile humans like a glimmering tide. The went in all directions, some leapt agilely out of the newly formed crater, others disappeared within the many tunnels of the underground matrix. The ancient city began to collapse around so many rushing bodies. By the time the last of the fabled unicorns had emerged from the ground, the city was gone. In its place plants of every description had grown. Seedling trees dotted the landscape and ivory vines had woven themselves about the remaining rock structures hiding their true shapes from view.  
  
The humans looked about themselves with a mixture of awe and humility. It was then that they realized that there was no trace of a unicorn anywhere. They had all disappeared as if they were no more than thrown pebbles. Even Anglarana and Jyserriec were nowhere to be seen. Mia lay at the base of the tree; the Jewel of Life was a dull as pewter. "Mia!" Anubis exclaimed, catching sight of her. He raced to her side and picked her up.  
  
"Is she...?" Ryo asked, in a shaky voice.  
  
"No, I can see her breathing," Sage replied, while gently placing two fingers on her neck to check her pulse.  
  
"Where did Anglarana go?" Cye asked, looking around sadly.  
  
"Most likely to her forest, the same as all of her kin," Kayura replied softly.  
  
"Do you know where her forest is? Maybe we could go see her," Kento asked hopefully.  
  
"I'm afraid not."  
  
*****  
  
~When the last eagle flies  
  
Over the last crumbling mountain.~  
  
The Ronin Warriors returned to the quiet mansion in the heart of a forest. They carefully tended Mia, who slept deeply from exhaustion. Kayura, Cale, Dais, and Sekhmet returned to the Netherworld to continue the restoration of the ruined world.  
  
~And the last lion roars  
  
At the last dusty fountain.~  
  
The five young men sat outside by the lake, each absorbed in his own thoughts about the past few days. They stared thoughtfully ahead of themselves, wondering about their lost friend. ~In the shadow of the forest  
  
Though she may be old and worn.~  
  
Sage gasped and stood up; he could have sworn he saw the glimmer of silver in the trees near them. The others, seeing his reaction, stood as well, fearing another attack. Sage pointed to the trees, unable to speak. For there she was, as though she had never left. Anglarana made a small sound of joy and tossed her swirling mane.  
  
~They will stare unbelieving  
  
At the last unicorn.~  
  
They ran over to her, but were uncertain on how to greet her. Kento, however, did not feel restrained by convention and wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her tightly. Anglarana chuckled and touched her nose to his shoulder. At that the others rushed forward to embrace her as well.  
  
~When the first breath of winter  
  
Through the flowers is icing.~  
  
Ryo worriedly told her about how Mia had been sleeping for three days and showed no signs of waking up. Anglarana told them of how demanding the spell was to free the others and that her body was just drained. Upon her instructions, Ryo went upstairs to retrieve Mia. ~And you look to the north,  
  
And the pale moon is rising.~  
  
Mia's face looked ashen, her features were haggard with weariness and strain. She lay so bonelessly quiet in Ryo's arms that is was hard to believe it was the same woman who only a few weeks ago was energetically rushing about the house doing research work, going to college, and still finding time to help them whenever they needed it.  
  
~When it seems like all is dying  
  
And would leave the world to morn.  
  
In the distance, hear the laughter  
  
Of the last unicorn.~  
  
Anglarana approached Ryo and gently touched her horn to Mia's forehead. Mia took in a deep breath of air as the soft silver light of Anglarana's horn engulfed her body. After a few minutes, her eyes fluttered open. "Oh, hi guys. Is it time for me to make dinner?" she asked sleepily.  
  
Everyone broke out into relieved laughter that bordered on tears. "Dinner's on us this time," Rowen replied, his eyes shining.  
  
"Oh, no, I don't trust you guys in the kitchen," she said with a weak laugh.  
  
~I'm alive  
  
I'm alive.~  
  
A figure stepped out of the treeline in front of them, his mane golden in the sunlight.  
  
~When the last moon is cast  
  
Over the last star of morning.~  
  
Jyserriec trotted over to Anglarana's side and he bowed his head in greeting to them.  
  
~And the future has past  
  
Without even a last desperate warning.~  
  
"Where did you guys go? We thought we'd never see you again!" Cye asked.  
  
'Jyserriec had some loose ends he needed to tie up,' Anglarana answered with a slight smile as she glanced over at him. Jyserriec exchanged a meaningful glance with her and smiled himself.  
  
"So what now? Are you guys going to stay long?" Rowen asked, his face betraying his excitement.  
  
"It's sad to lose a friend so soon," Sage said.  
  
'I will stay as long as you would have me,' Anglarana replied with a musical laugh. 'This forest is my home.'  
  
"And what about Jyserriec?" Mia asked, her eyes shining with delight.  
  
'My home is wherever her foot falls,' he replied, looking studiously at the ground. Everyone collectively raised an eyebrow at that. Anglarana laughed again and cantered to the treeline, followed by Jyserriec.  
  
~Then look into the sky we're through  
  
The clouds have packed in storm.~  
  
She paused and turned toward them. 'We can discuss such things at a later date when Mia of the Koji household is well rested and we have had time to become adjusted to our home. Until then, it is good to see you all and I look forward to the years to come! May the light of the heavens be yours!'  
  
~Look and see her, how she sparkles  
  
It's the last unicorn.~  
  
She reared, sending her mane and tail flying like silver fire in the bright sunlight. She was dazzling as her horn shone and fur sparkled like dewed strands of spiderweb. Her front hooves had barely made contact with the ground before she bounded back into the forest. Jyserriec could be heard laughing and making a teasing remark about frivolity and he disappeared into the shadows behind her.  
  
~I'm alive.  
  
I'm alive.~  
  
Anubis smiled to himself as he watched them go. He had a feeling that the world was going to be a different place now; not just for them, but for every living thing on the planet. Unicorns were back in the world.  
  
The End  
  
(at least, for this adventure) ________________________________________________________________________  
  
That's it, finis, adios, ja ne, arividenchi (how do you spell that anyway?), chow, hasta la vista! No matter what language, the fight with Crynis is over. But fear not loyal readers, this in not the end of Anglarana's adventures. I will probably write new stories involving her and our favorite guys in armor. Someone even suggested that I write a prequel to this story about Jyserriec and Anglarana's past. I am also thinking of writing a 'ghost' chapter about what happened between the two when they went to "tie up loose ends" after all of the other unicorns were released.  
  
The song I integrated into the end is from the movie/ book The Last Unicorn written by Peter S. Beagle. I highly recommend you see/ read it; this is where a lot of my ideas for unicorns came from and it was what inspired me to write about them in a fic. Music and lyrics were written by Jimmy Webb and it was performed by America. Comments and criticism are welcome, thanks for reading. This has been a great journey.  
  
Lady Eclipse 


End file.
